The Second Stone
by Last night I had a Dream
Summary: The story of a girl who finds an egg and embarks on her own adventure to join forces with Eragon. Along the way she slowly unlocks secrets to her own intricate past, and her travels bring her places she's never imagined before. THIS IS UNDER EDITING, SOME CHAPTERS MAY HAVE CONTINUITY ERRORS
1. Chapter one

**The Second Stone**

_The horse's hoof beats pounded a steady rhythm through The Spine's early morning mist. A lone rider, an elf, rode upon a white steed, urging it forward with obvious desperation. Her long blonde hair flew behind her like a banner, whipping the air. Her shoulders tensed as she kicked the horse's flank again, the need to flee dominating her senses. One of her graceful hands gripped the horse's leather reins. The other was in her lap, clutching a stone of the brightest silver. She was gripping it so hard that her knuckles were screaming in protest. _

_She threw a wild glance behind her, her heart beating a steady tattoo against her chest, in time with the hoof beats. There was no one in sight behind her, but she felt his presence in her heart. She whispered words to the horse, in the language of the elves. It spurred onward, pushing its piston legs to work harder, flaring it's nostrils with obvious fright. The elf turned her head again, her breath heavy in panic. Again, there was no one in sight, but the presence was there, ominous and powerful. Suddenly the horse reared, neighing, digging its heels into the ground. The woman-elf snapped her head around, and gasped to see that she had ridden onto the edge of a steep cliff. She had been cornered._

_She heard him now, his mount's hooves pounding the ground like a battle drum. She had been run into a trap, one that she could not escape. There was no time for magic, no time to even think; just to react. She gripped the stone and threw it with inhuman strength off the cliff into the tangles of the Spine. Time seemed to slow as the beautiful woman watched the stone arc gracefully and speed to the ground. The brambles of the Spine below embraced it, hiding it in the endless green. The elf closed her eyes as her ears filled with the sound of his fury behind her. She smiled. It was finished. A blinding pain erupted in her back as he struck her, shrieking, wailing in anger. The force pushed the slight elf off of her horse and down off the cliff. Following the path of the stone before her, the elf's broken body fell limply into the dark recesses of the wild Spine. _

Kairin was sitting on a high tree limb in the heart of The Spine, chewing a long stalk of grass. She leaned her head against the tall tree's trunk, imagining that she felt the ancient plant whisper to her. He was a tree that had stood here forever, and he was revealing the secrets of the forest to her. She smiled and opened her eyes to stare at the blue patch of sky above her, steadily darkening as night fell. The forest was bathed in the orange light of sunset.

Her sharp eyes fixed on a small dark speck in the sky. She sat up and focused on it as it grew steadily larger, a black dot framed by the brilliant blue. It was some kind of object falling through the sky! Kairin grasped the tree limb to regain her balance as she craned her neck to see what was plummeting towards her. With a rustle, it broke through the canopy of trees and went straight for the ground, passing right in front of her eyes. It was a stone, silver and catching the sun's orange rays like a crystal. She screwed up her eyes, expecting to hear the sound of shattering glass as it came in contact with the forest floor, but all she heard was a dull thump. She opened her eyes and stretched to see where it had landed. She saw it sitting on the ground looking completely unharmed.

"There's no way..." she said to herself, and began to swing herself down from her perch. The shining silver stone lay innocently in a pile of brush. It was beautiful, reflecting the trees above on its flawless surface. Kairin walked warily towards it and bent over, getting a closer look. It didn't look dangerous, but it had the feel of magic about it. Kairin couldn't help but pick it up. She weighed it in her hands. It was a good weight, not too heavy or light, and had a smooth surface pleasant to the touch. A smile tugged at Kairin's lips.

"There's no harm in keeping it..." She muttered to herself, tucking it in the crook of her arm like it was a baby.

Kairin lived in The Spine, and to her knowledge, she was the only human who dared to. She had heard rumors about its unnatural, magical powers, and regarded most of them to be just that, rumors. But Kairin knew the forest well. She never underestimated what it did to those who weren't wary of its dark recesses. Kairin respected the ancient magic that was obviously alive in these trees she had grown to love. She knew how to live alongside it. The prided herself on being the only one able to navigate the place she called home. The rumors that flew around Caravahall about the Spine were laughable to her.

Kairin had lived in the Spine as long as she could remember, had never imagined that she had come from anywhere else. The busy city of Caravahall nearly repulsed her. She couldn't remember a family, a mother or a father. "My memory can barely remember yesterday," she always told herself. "How should I remember my childhood?" Her memories began sometime around when she was eight years old.

Kairin was now sixteen years old. She had lived alone for eight long years, hunting enough to get by and selling her pelts to the merchants of Caravahall. She lived in a small sort of cottage, another thing she couldn't remember the origin of. To her, it was something that had always been there.

It never bothered Kairin that she didn't know her own beginning. She had never given it the chance to bother her. She convinced herself every day that she preferred living in solitude, without memories, without human ties of any kind. She could slip away at a moments notice, move to a distant city, and change her life on a whim without anyone to hold her back. "I'm the master of my own destiny. That's the way to live," she told herself constantly, chanting it like a mantra. It warded away her loneliness.

But Kairin never had slipped away on a moments notice, never tried to reinvent her life. She carefully overlooked this.

Kairin ran her finger over a tree on her left as she passed. Sure enough, under her fingers she felt the tree gash marks, completely invisible to the naked eye. Kairin took a sharp left around the tree and walked directly into a fern bush, beating and slashing her way through. On the other side was a clearing, cut in half by a shallow creek. Beside the creek was her house, looking run-down but sturdy. It was completely surrounded by bushes and trees all around, totally hidden.

"My hideaway home," said Kairin, as she jumped over the thin creek and swung the wooden door open. The inside was dark, cozy and sweet-smelling. Dried flowers and herbs hung from the ceiling in great bunches. One wall was entirely taken up by a huge fireplace, in which the embers from Kairin's lunch fire were still burning. A small handmade bed was against another wall, and beside it was a large jug of water atop a sanded tree stump. Across from the bed was a wall entirely covered in shelves.

The shelves held a lifetime's worth of forest treasures, from small shiny pebbles to deer antlers and eagle feathers. Kairin set the large silver stone in the center of the middle shelf, arranging a garland of dried flowers around it.

"The rightful place of honor," she said to herself, stepping back to admire the effect. She stood there for a moment, captivated by the reflection of the smoldering embers in the stone's surface. She blinked several times and pulled her gaze away. Next to the shelf, a bow with a quiver and a sword in a sheath leaned against the wall. Kairin picked them up and walked outside into the evening.

The bow was Kairin's first weapon. The one she held in her hands now was another piece of her past, and object without a beginning. She'd had it as long as she could remember. The sword around her waist was another item in her collection; she had found it stuck into a stump deep in the forest. The blade had still been sharp when she found it. Kairin had taught herself everything she knew about fighting. She practiced shooting arrows into trees and exercised her swordplay skills every day. It became her main purpose for waking up in the morning; something to occupy her time and chase the empty days away. Her imagination was her only escape.

Kairin gave up on her training once the sun had sunk down completely, leaving the forest pitch-dark. She trudged back into her cottage and got the fire going, sending flickering light into every corner of the room. After dinner, a small meal of dried venison and boiled wild mushrooms, Kairin went to her bed and pulled a huge roll of parchment from under the mattress. She unfurled it carefully and sat down on the bed, picking up a piece of charcoal that had fallen out of the rolled-up paper. Kairin began to scribble on the parchment, writing furiously.

It was her nighttime ritual. Every night she would pull out a roll of parchment and write. She wrote everything from short stories and epics to poems and songs. She wove several tales of adventure, herself always the main character. She had put herself into love triangles with princes, dungeons with thieves and murderers, and castles with evil kings. She had written more stories than she could count, and used-up pieces of paper were always scattered around the house.

Kairin wrote until the fire died down again, and then tucked herself into bed. With her last conscious thought, Kairin wished fervently for her stories to become real, a wish she repeated every night. She longed for destiny to pick her up out of her lonely life. She wanted her own adventure.

As Kairin fell asleep, she didn't hear the silver stone on the shelf begin to rock back and forth.


	2. Chapter two

**Chapter two**

Kairin's eyes flew open. It was still pitch dark; she blinked furiously in an attempt to clear her vision. As she sat slowly up in bed, she heard the noise again: A steady, rhythmic thumping, a faint skittering like a mouse on a wooden floor. Slowly, carefully, she eased herself out of the sheets and stood, reaching for her sword. Her eyes, now adjusted to the darkness, swept the room. A flash of light caught her attention. Her gaze snapped to the stone sitting on the shelf. It was quivering, rocking back and forth, and had caught the faint rays of moonlight streaming through the window. She walked towards it, taking her time, and picked it up.

As soon as she had lifted it off the shelf, it became quiet and still. Kairin frowned, and lifted it to her ear. Not a sound. She examined it closely, and noticed a small crack running across one side. Frowning, she ran her finger across it. It hadn't been there yesterday. Suddenly the stone came to life again, and she felt something moving around inside. With a small cry, she dropped it on the floor. As it hit the ground, it gave a loud, hollow thunk, and the surface began to spiderweb into a pattern of small cracks. It continued to break and split, giving the appearance that it was crawling with ants. Kairin dropped to her knees, and inched towards it. The stone began to squeak loudly, and the thing inside began to tap against the walls.

"_It's not a stone... It's an egg!"_

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, a piece of the stone flew from it and landed before her. She stumbled backwards, disinclined to touch it. An egg? What kind of egg? She leaned forward and watched intently, her hands clasped together in front of her. Pieces began to fall in all directions, and the stone had soon completely crumbled away. Huddled in the ruins of the silver shell was an oddly shaped creature, about the length of Kairin's forearm. Clueless, Kairin remained motionless until a leathery wing unfurled itself from the tiny, serpentine body. Kairin gasped as the little dragon uncurled before her, squeaking in a pitiful sort of way.

"A dragon..." The newborn creature had lifted itself up on wobbly legs, and was stretching two bat-like wings. It opened its tiny mouth in a yawn revealing sharp, miniature teeth. It looked up at Kairin with two silver eyes and chirruped. As it stared at her, Kairin felt an instant affection. She couldn't help herself; she reached out and brushed the dragon's nose with her fingertips.

Almost instantly, they began to burn. Kairin withdrew her hand and clenched her fist against her body, clutching her wrist with her other hand. Her fingers began to shake. Something was creeping up her arm, an odd sensation that began to throb alongside her own heartbeat. The force spread through her and engulfed her mind, swirling it like a whirlpool. But, as suddenly as it had come, it was gone. She opened her eyes and found herself staring at the ceiling; she had keeled over onto the floor. As she sat up and rubbed her temples, her right palm tingled. She looked at it and noticed white oval in the center, glowing with a slivery sheen like a scar. She traced around the oval curiously, an odd feeling spreading through her. Her mind was clear, precise, and felt slightly alien to Kairin. As she marveled at the new feeling, something brushed against her consciousness, light as a feather. Kairin shook her head sharply, startled and afraid. The feeling brushed her again, more insistent this time. She looked at the dragon, and noticed that it was staring into her eyes, willing her to understand.

"I get it..." she whispered, and opened her mind to the dragon. As the creature's consciousness entered hers, Kairin felt a strange emptiness, total vulnerability. It was vaguely alarming and quite uncomfortable for her. She felt as if her mind had spilled from her skull and was now spreading around the room, like water filling a basin. She could feel the young, energetic spark of the dragon close to her. It spoke without words, but Kairin became aware of a ravenous hunger.

Last night's dinner was still sitting on a pan in the fire. Kairin took it off the now-cooled coals and plopped it unceremoniously in front of the dragon. It sniffed daintily before tucking into the small meal. As it devoured the food, Kairin sat back to take a truly good look at her new companion. Its scales were pale silver, almost white, and were the most flawless things Kairin had ever seen. On each foot were four stout little claws, each one a smooth, silvery black, like hematite. Across the graceful curve of its spine were small spikes, the same blackish color of the claws. Kairin put her hand on the base of the dragon's neck. There were no spikes there, and the bone was oddly curved. As she stroked the hollow she realized with a jolt that she would one day ride on the very spot she now rested her hand. Overwhelmed, she sat back. She traced the new mark on her palm, deep in thought. Could she become a Dragon Rider?

The ancient Dragon Riders were extinct, she was sure. Everyone was sure. She knew the story of Galbatorix, listening to old Brom the storyteller tell it had been her favorite part of visiting the nearby Caravahall. But as she recalled it now, it no longer seemed like just a story. Only now did she fully understand the evil of Galbatorix, and the danger of opposing him. She watched the dragon, and the thought of abandoning it did not even cross her mind. She _wanted_ to keep it. It had been scarcely any time since they had met, and already it seemed as much a part of her as anything. Unbidden, her mind began to add on to the story of Galbatorix, writing herself in. She would be a legend, the first dragon rider since The Fall, and she would take down the evil king. She would restore humanity to its Golden Age.

"No. That's not real," she reminded herself. At the sound of her voice, the dragon looked up into her eyes. It chirruped, and stumbled towards her. It brushed her mind again, and Kairin quickly let it in.

This time, it felt worried, insistent. It scuttled to the door, obviously as quickly as was possible for the newborn. It reached the door and scraped it with one paw. Kairin stood, crossed the room, and opened the door. Without hesitation, the dragon scampered outside into the faint bluish light of morning. Kairin followed it outside to see it standing a few feet away, waiting for her. Kairin took a step towards it, and it took a step forward, away from her. It stared into her eyes, and Kairin was sure that if the thing had eyebrows, they would be raised.

"This is easy enough, I suppose," murmured Kairin, smiling. The dragon led Kairin slowly through the forest, barely able to walk but not allowing Kairin to pick it up. It led a direction that she had never been before, deep into a part of the forest without pathways. The sun was up when the little dragon finally sat down beside a huge thicket. It simply looked at Kairin.

"What? What is it?" The dragon just continued looking at her. Kairin didn't understand.

"_Where_ is it?" No response. Kairin walked hesitantly to the thicket and peered between the thorny branches. She could see the sun glittering from inside; it was hollow.

"There's something... inside?" The dragon chirped, and its eyes glittered. She crouched over and gingerly dug her arms into the thicket to pry apart the branches. She ripped a jagged hole at the base of the thicket and crawled inside. She pulled herself along the ground with her elbows, disregarding the thorns that were etching long scratches into her skin. When she got inside, she struggled upright and shook her hair from her eyes. Kairin blinked in the sunlight, looked around, and stifled a scream.

A woman lay facedown in the brush.


	3. Chapter three

**Chapter three**

Kairin froze, transfixed. The woman wasn't moving. Kairin took a hesitant step forward, froze, and then broke into a run. Kairin knelt beside the limp body and flipped it over. Her face was a pale, delicate thing, and her eyes were shut. Kairin stared at her. She looked like something out of Kairin's memories, but still completely unfamiliar. Kairin pushed the feeling aside and conducted a quick search; pulse beats and breathing. The woman was still alive, faintly. Kairin looked around. The thicket formed a sort of half-circle around the sheer face of a giant cliff, which Kairin knelt at the base of. The woman appeared to have fallen from it.

"How could she have survived something like that?" Behind her, the dragon squeaked. It was standing in the hole Kairin had made in the thicket wall. The creature tossed its scaly head, indicating the way they had come.

"You want me to take her back? Who is she?" The dragon puffed, as if annoyed by the ridiculously unimportant question.

"You want me to... Take care of her? The dragon snorted in assent. Kairin looked back at the woman in her arms. She looked so weak, so close to the edge. Kairin's heart ached just looking at her.

"I can do that." The dragon hummed, pulling its top lip back in a sort of reptilian smile. Kairin smiled back, laughing at the tiny thing. She stood and began to hoist the woman onto her shoulder. When her fair blonde hair fell away from her face, it revealed two long pointed ears. The woman was an elf! Kairin almost dropped her.

"Did you know this?" Kairin rounded on the little dragon. It stared serenely up at her., unreadable. Kairin looked down at the woman in her arms again. She had never seen an elf before. Her heart was racing. She sighed and resigned herself to the fact that she wasn't going to get answers just yet. With much difficulty, Kairin managed to pull the woman out of the thicket and began to make her way back home, the dragon leading them like a parade.

As Kairin admired the sparkling of the dragon scales in the morning sun, a thought struck her. She didn't have a name for her small partner. She didn't even know the sex of the creature. She brushed the dragon with her mind, inquiring about this. It barely acknowledged her, so she started firing off names at random.

"Do you like Kyro? What about Sanje? Ramian? The dragon snorted at each one.

"You're a girl, then? Alright… How about Seria? Leona? Kris?" The dragon puffed and tossed its head. Kairin felt the familiar brush against her consciousness. A new name came to mind, quite suddenly.

"Faeria"

Kairin let the name slip from her lips, admiring the smooth "ae" sound, the way the harsh "r" cut through the vowels. It felt like a profound moment. She liked it. The dragon glanced up and hummed in a pleased sort of way.

"You're Faeria."

As the weeks passed, Faeria's growth was incredible. It seemed that every time she returned from her hunt she had grown inches. Kairin and Faeria could now connect their minds with ease, and communication was easy. Faeria spoke Alagaesian fluently, but their speech was not limited to words. More often, emotions instead, or flashed mental images to each other from great distances. Their minds continued to knit themselves together as Faeria matured. Soon, they began to think as one.

Time also went on for the elf-woman, who had now been sleeping through the month. With every passing day, Kairin's already diminished hopes seemed to dim further. The woman was surely dead.

It was nightfall. Kairin knelt beside her small bed, nestled in a cot that had been her sleeping place. The bed was occupied by the ever-sleeping elf. Kairin placed a cloth soaked in warm water on the woman's brown, and took one of her hands. It was freezing.

"She's not getting better, Faeria."

"_Patience. All will come in time," _the dragon replied, her huge silver eyes half-closed. Faeria lay stretched over half of the house, completely at ease. Even in her relaxed figure, she exuded the air of complete confidence and pride. Kairin never doubted that Faeria was completely aware of her immeasurable strength, and more importantly, her supreme significance. Faeria was the last of a dying breed, and was by no means bashful about it.

"She's been sleeping so long. I don't think there's any hope for her at this point."

"_You've been saying that for two weeks now. Tell me why she is still alive, if hope is lost?"_

"I don't know." Kairin replied. Her voice was utterly defeated.

"_If she's going to die, then take her out of her misery," _drawled Faeria. She flicked her nose towards the sword on the wall before serenely putting her head back down, her eyes shut.

"I know you aren't serious."

"_Then neither are you," _came the instant reply. They were going through the same conversation they had been having every day for a fortnight.

"_Why don't you tell me why you are so concerned about her?"_

"What are you talking about? You're the one who brought her here."

"_True, but I'm not the one who tends to her fanatically every night. I'm not the one who pretends that I'm going to throw her out into the cold, just for an excuse to talk about her again." _ Faeria was awake now, her neck arched straight up, eyes boring holes in Kairin.

Kairin opened her mouth to protest, and quickly closed it. She pulled away from the dragon's uncomfortable stare and set her eyes on the pale woman's face.

"_Because I think I know her," _Kairin replied with her thoughts. _"It's like I've seen her before, a long time ago, just outside the range of my memories. Like I've dreamed her up and now she's become real."_

Faeria expressed no surprise at Kairin's confession. _"That must be difficult for you."_

Kairin spun around, glaring. She scrutinized Faeria's reptilian face, but it only took a glance to see that the dragon was being genuine.

"_You're not making fun of me."_

"_No, Kairin, I'm not. The memory is an amazing thing." _Faeria dipped her head in to brush Kairin's cheek with her nose. _"I don't doubt you mean it well."_

Faeria fell silent, to Kairin's relief. Her face still burned with embarrassment. She knew the idea was unimaginable, but somehow voicing it, putting it into words, it had sounded even more childish. She grimaced, and tossed her head back to stare pointlessly into the woman's face again. She knelt beside the bed for a while, staring but really seeing.

Kairin's eyelids were slowly sliding closed when the elf's mouth twitched. Instantly, Kairin was awake. She sprung off of her haunches and knelt over the now stirring figure. She cupped the woman's pale face on one hand to take a look; her eyes were moving under the lids. The woman opened her mouth and began to speak quickly, so fast that Kairin couldn't tell if she spoke Alagaesian. With her free arm, Kairin flailed out behind her and made contact with Faeria's shoulder. The dragon stretched like a cat and opened her eyes.

"_Was that necessary?"_

"Look!" Kairin squealed. With a surprising burst of agility, Faeria stood up and rushed to the bedside, leaving long gouges in the floor with her claws.

"_This doesn't feel right. What's she saying?" _The elf's eyes flew open. They were bright, sky blue, and wide as coins. The eerie, dead-looking sight of them made Faeria recoil; which unnerved Kairin greatly. She stood up, completely unsure of what to do.

"I don't know, I don't know I can't understand her!" Kairin said distractedly. She rushed to the table, where she had put the cloth and bowl of water. Kairin snatched them up and threw herself beside the elf again, trying to press the soaked handkerchief to her now thrashing head.

"_The time has passed for that, I think, Kairin!" _Faeria shrieked. She snatched the bowl from Kairin's hand with her teeth, and tossed her head towards the elf. The water flew out and soaked her completely. Instantly, she was still. The eerie blue eyes blinked once, and instantly something inside them came alive. Her breathing slowed, and she met Kairin's eyes for the first time.

"Who are you?" The woman's voice was soft and harsh, as if she was unaccustomed to speaking so loudly. She sat up and pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger. She was alright, she was awake and speaking. The long-awaited moment made Kairin positively beam with joy.

"Kairin!" She burst out. With trouble, she regained her composure. "I'm... Kairin. I live here. You've been here for almost a month, now, and you've never even said a word before this so I'm so happy you've finally woken up and now I hope you don't have to leave too soon because I'd really like to talk to you-"

"_Easy, Kairin. Breathe," _drawled Faeria, a smirk in her silver eyes. Kairin fell silent, embarrassed, and looked up at the elf through her eyelashes.

"Sorry," she said aloud to both. But the elf wasn't listening. Her eyes were fixed on Faeria with such exhilaration that Kairin was momentarily derailed. Faeria was returning the stare with a sort of haughty indignation.

"_What gives you the nerve," _she said icily.

"She wants to know why you're staring at her like that," said Kairin, carefully editing. The frost-blue eyes instantly snapped to meet Kairin's instead, who found it difficult to return her gaze. An uncomfortable moment passed before the elf seemed to regain her senses.

"I'm… So sorry," she stammered. Kairin could tell that she wasn't sincere. "I just… So you must be the Rider," she breathed, her attempt at frivolous good manners abandoned. Her straightforwardness scared Kairin; she had no idea whether the woman was an enemy or friend.

"I'm sorry; who did you say you were?" Kairin stood and laid a hand on the back of Faeria's neck. The touch gave her confidence.

"I'm sorry," the elf said again, this time with far more sincerity, "my name is Leaire." She held out her hand. Kairin scrutinized it for a moment before hesitantly reaching out her hand and taking it. Leaire stared at their two clenched hands before giving Kairin a timid glance.

"May I?" she asked. Kairin was confused; she said nothing. Without waiting for an answer, Leaire turned Kairin's hand palm up, and clenched her wrist with her other hand. The silvery-white mark on Kairin's palm was now visible; it glistened in the faint light.

"The Gedwey Ignasia," Leaire said in a rapt whisper. Kairin pulled her hand away and clenched her fist.

"The _what?_" she demanded. She was getting annoyed with the elf's mysterious manner. If Leaire had noticed any harshness in her voice she gave no indication.

"The Gedwey Ignasia, it's the mark that all Riders receive when they first make contact with their dragons. It's astonishing, really, how much a that little tattoo can do. You and your dragon speak to each other through it."

"_Ask her how she knows all of this," _Faeria said instantly. She was still giving Leaire an analyzing look.

"Faeria wants to know how you know all of this," Kairin relayed. Leaire's face broke out into a smile.

"Faeria! Her name is Faeria? I know all of this, Faeria, because I was your egg-bearer. As I'm sure you've already guessed, at least." Leaire spoke directly to her, and she looked back completely emotionless.

"Someone explain this to me, please!" cried Kairin, exasperated. Leaire looked up at Kairin, and paused for a moment before folding her legs under her. She motioned for Kairin to sit, who did with some cautiousness.

"Ellesmera is the city of the elves."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kairin demanded. Before Leaire could answer, Faeria pulled up her top lip and growled softly.

"_Let her speak."_ Kairin bitterly obeyed.

"Ellesmera is the city of the elves," Leaire began again as if nothing had transpired, "and I was born there. I was raised among elven politics, and once I was mature enough I joined in on them. Elven politics is quite different from humans'. Anyone can be a part of it. So I quickly rose in status in Ellesmera, until I was eventually involved with the Varden. Do you know what the Varden is?"

"They fight the Empire," replied Kairin simply.

"That's a very vague description, but it will do for now," said Leaire quickly, eager to return to her story.

"I soon gained the trust of the Varden as well, and was one of their top chairmen. It wasn't long before the Varden leader called me aside to offer me the most honorable job in my entire lifetime: an egg bearer. There had only been one previous egg bearer before me: Arya the elf queen's daughter. Naturally, I was privileged to be selected for the job. I accepted it, and the following morning I set out with my egg. It was an impeccable egg, too. A bright silver-white color," Leaire said, with a sly smile.

"My job was to ferry the egg across Alagaesia, between elves and humans of the Varden. See, a dragon egg only hatches when it comes in contact with its destined partner. In Faeria's case, she chose you, Kairin." Kairin's stomach fluttered. She'd had no idea that Faeria had hatched exclusively for her.

"How do they know?" Kairin asked. She turned to Faeria. "How did you know?"

"_I just knew, Kairin. You were the only one I felt for."_ Kairin was overcome by a surge of affection.

"Dragons may not grow inside the egg, but they age," said Leaire. "Faeria was mature enough, and conscious enough, to choose who she wanted to be with."

"_That explains why you treat me like such a child."_

"_In my mind, Kairin, sixteen years is practically an infant."_

"But as you can imagine," Leaire continued, "people were becoming restless when the eggs – both Arya's and mine – weren't hatching. Both the elves and the humans were desperate for the egg to hatch on their side. You see, the race that gained the Rider would soon hold much of the Varden's political influence. Fights began breaking out. I was afraid someone was going to steal the egg and force it to hatch. It was a terrible show of greed; I was ashamed of their behavior.

"Their fighting not only increased animosity between the races, but it must have somehow attracted the attention of…" Leaire searched for a word. "…the enemy. I was soon constantly on the run, always being pursued. It became too dangerous; this was to be my last trip before the egg-bearers returned to Ellesmera to think up another plan of action.

"However… This time, the enemy sent a far more capable creature to tail me." Leaire paused, her face dark. "He overtook me. He killed my guards and chased me here, into the Spine. I was completely cornered, there was absolutely no time for me to magick the egg away. I simply threw it into the forest," she said bluntly. "In hindsight, it was a stupid idea. It would have been painfully easy for him to find it.

"It was a blessing that you found it first." The elf paused, a smile fixed on her lips. It was so stiff that Kairin was sure that there was bad news to follow. The silence grew.

"Just say it," Kairin said roughly. The elf faltered, and then burst into speech.

"There would be no reason for him to leave. He of course searched for the egg after I threw it, and I daresay… I daresay he's found this place by now." A cold rush of fear ran down Kairin's spine. The elf dropped her voice to a whisper.

"He's probably been watching you. He's seen that the egg has hatched, and he's seen that I'm here, too. I'm entirely sure that he's out there in the forest, planning his next move. I'm sure because… I can feel him."

"What?" Kairin was confused.

"It would be pointless to explain fully. I was completely aware of my surroundings the entire time I was asleep. I chose tonight to wake up because for some reason, he's gone. But I'm sure he's coming back." Leaire was trying to commune the dangerousness of the situation to Kairin without really saying it.

"He's gathering an army. He'll be back to bring you to Galbatorix soon. That's why we're leaving tonight, Kairin. We're leaving right now."


	4. Chapter four

**Chapter Four**

Kairin's hands shook as she stuffed clothes into a linen sack. Her breathing was coming irregularly in sharp, short bursts. Leaire stood at the window, unblinking, staring into the darkness as if it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen. Packing was a strange experience for Kairin. She had lived all her life in a pointless, apathetic state, but now that everything had changed, she couldn't seem to leave anything behind. It took great willpower not to pack her collection of bird feathers.

"_It's a strange feeling," _Kairin admitted to Faeria, who was sitting like a sentinel beside her, watching her every move.

"_I'm sure it is, although I can't say I understand it."_

"_I know you can't comprehend it, but not everyone is born knowing they're destined for greatness," _Kairin said, a touch of humor in her tone. _"Being told I'm all of a sudden important is sort of…Surreal."_ Very suddenly, Faeria swept her great head in and pressed her nose to Kairin's. She closed her eyes, and stayed there while tears began to streak Kairin's face.

"_We'll be alright. Believe in us."_

"_I don't think I'm ready."_

"Are you ready?" Leaire's voice suddenly rang out from across the room. Kairin paused for a moment, derailed, and reminded herself that Leaire couldn't hear her thoughts.

"Yes," she replied. Kairin was embarrassed at the weakness in her voice. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Leaire?"

The elf grunted in response; she was staring out of the window into the darkness again.

"Can you tell me something?"

"What do you want to know?" Leaire said, distracted. Her eyes were locked on the outdoors.

"...Anything," replied Kairin. "You haven't told me anything." Leaire finally turned to look at her.

"What are you talking about? I've told you _everything_." Kairin shook her head firmly.

"No, you haven't. You've told me how you got here. You told me how Faeria came to me. But honestly, Leaire, the past isn't what's important. I need to know what's happening _right now." _Leaire stared back at her unflinchingly.

"Have you ever heard of Shades?" She asked. Kairin was taken aback by the sudden question.

"Only in story books," she said tentatively. Leaire continued without any indication that she had heard.

"Shades are magical beings, although the word "magic" doesn't seem to fully communicate the extent of their wizardry. A Shade is created when an elf goes bad. Their soul is corrupted. And, with that evil comes a great, horrible power. No living creature that respects life at all would dare to dream of using it. That is why Shades are so despicable, so awesomely terrifying." Leaire spoke like the storyteller back at Caravahall; her voice was dramatic to the point of almost comical. But Kairin understood, and the meaning behind the words was by no means humorous.

"I understand." Kairin neither needed nor wanted Leaire to clarify the purpose of her story. "But why would a creature like that be interested in me?"

"I don't think you _do_ understand, Kairin," Leaire said, almost kindly. "You and Faeria are now one of the most powerful beings on earth. A more appropriate question would be why anyone _wouldn't_ be 'interested' in you."

Kairin almost felt it physically; the rest of her human life was being left behind.

"So what do you plan to do?" Kairin's voice had changed. It was now bristling with steel.

"We have to get you to Farthen Dur, the headquarters of The Varden."

Amidst the fear and anxiety boiling in her stomach, Leaire's words sent a different emotion pulsing through her: exhilaration. Faeria swung her silver tail in two great sweeping motions across the floor. She could feel the excitement too. It was like a dream had sprung from Kairin's imagination and was now mixing with reality, sending boundaries flying.

"So it is real," Kairin whispered at last. Leaire was looking out the window again, this time with her palm up against the cold glass.

"What? Farthen Dur? Of course it's real." Leaire pressed her palm harder against the window, and turned to faced Kairin. "The Varden keep up this illusion that they have no set headquarters on purpose. It makes it much more difficult for our enemies to find us if they believe that we're scattered around Alagaesia."

Suddenly, a flash of light came from Leaire, emitted from the palm on the window. She pulled it away as if she had been burned, and took a step back from the window.

"It's time to go," she murmured. She pulled her elegant rapier from the scabbard at her waist, and inched the door open. Kairin tied her bags to Faeria, and slung her bow across her own back. She picked up her old sword from the floor and crept close behind Leaire. Together, they slipped into the night. It was bitter cold; unseasonable weather for early spring. Kairin squared her shoulders against the icy wind.

"The wind will carry our scent. If the Shade is downwind of us, it will be extremely dangerous. Please, tell Faeria to fly up high where he can't smell her."

"_Do like she says, Faeria. Please. But don't go too far, okay?"_

"_I won't let you out of my sight." _Faeria spread her icy white wings and took off into the night. After she had gone, Leaire scuffed her foot over the ground where the dragon's claws had left gouges in the soil.

"We need to try and cover our tracks the best we can," Leaire whispered. She lifted a finger and indicated for Kairin to stay close behind, and began to dash forward into the trees. She leapt from rock to rock, swung from tree branches, and waded through streams as often as possible. Kairin followed the best she could, but her human reflexes simply didn't equal Leaire's. Soon, she was dragging so far behind that she could only distinguish Leaire from the trees by her blonde hair glowing in the moonlight. Leaire paused for a moment, turned around, and realized with a jolt that Kairin wasn't behind her.

"Kairin!" she shrieked, forgetting herself. Her shout echoed through the trees, and Leaire flinched at each refrain.

"I'm here," Kairin called back, and ran up to meet her. "I thought we were keeping quiet," she whispered angrily.

"I'm sorry," the elf breathed back. "I thought I'd lost you."

"I can find the way through the Spine without your help," Kairin said irritably, her voice raising a fraction. Leaire paused, ignoring the bite in Kairin's tone. Her brows were furrowed.

"You can? How?" Leaire was obviously puzzled.

"I've lived here my entire life. What, do you think I was here on holiday?" Leaire said nothing, but continued to look at Kairin as if it was the first time she had really seen her.

"What about your parents?"

Kairin opened her mouth to reply, and hesitated. She didn't know how to explain.

"I… don't know. I don't remember them," Kairin said, slowly and awkwardly. She peered up at Leaire, expecting further questioning. To her surprise, Leaire merely nodded.

"I see," she said knowingly. Her tone irritated Kairin.

"Do you have something you'd like to share?" she asked coldly. Again to Kairin's surprise, Leaire smiled.

"Kairin…" she began, but quickly fell silent. Her hand was glowing again, the way it had back at the window. In a flash, Leaire had drawn her rapier and was spinning around on the spot, frantic. A faint noise swept through the trees, carried and distorted by the wind. It chilled Kairin to the bone, and she drew her sword as well. The noise sounded again, this time louder. Someone was laughing.

The laugh was mirthless and eerie. Fear crawled down Kairin's spine as it grew louder, growing from a snicker to a full out peal of laughter, echoing around her. Suddenly, half a dozen stunted creatures came out of the underbrush, forming a semicircle around the two women. Leaire and Kairin spun around to escape, and found themselves staring right into the face of the Shade.

He was tall and gaunt, and he was smiling. His maroon hair swirled around his head in the wind like fire, and in his bony white hand he held a long, venomous sword. As Kairin stared at it, he began to flex his fingers around the hilt, ready to instantly strike.

"Trying to run away, Leaire? But I hadn't gotten my chance to visit yet," his voice was quiet almost to the point of weak, but it terrified nonetheless. Leaire was silent, her regal face betraying no emotion.

"And this must be Kairin. My dear, I've heard so much about you." He stepped forward with his arm outstretched as if to kiss Kairin's hand. She shrank back in disgust, and he chuckled. "We'll get to be friends eventually; I'm sure, _young Rider_." Cold washed through Kairin. It was all over.

"_Faeria!"_As soon as Kairin contacted her, Faeria absorbed the situation.

"_I'm coming."_ Her voice was solid, and she broke contact immediately. Kairin could feel her wings beating the wind frantically in the back of her head.

"Surprised, Kairin?" the Shade began to walk forward, forcing Kairin and Leaire to move backwards into the horned creatures' reach. "I've been keeping quite a close eye on you ever since you came into possession of that egg. At first, I was just going to take it from you, but after it hatched…" he paused to shake his head, baring his teeth in a demonic smile. "Imagine my surprise."

"Why don't you stop playing with us, Durza," Leaire suddenly spat. Her knuckles were white gripped onto the hilt of her rapier. Her eyes flickered towards Kairin for a moment. Kairin felt the now-familiar feeling of another consciousness melting into hers.

"_Faeria where are you?" _she asked immediately, before realizing that the presence that filled her thoughts was not the dragon.

"_It is not Faeria, it is Leaire._" Kairin's mind immediately formed several questions, and Leaire quickly forestalled them.

"_Not now. Later. Have you summoned Faeria?"_

"_Of course I have."_

"_Good. We need to get Durza into that clearing, you see it?" _Kairin lifted her eyes to see a space some twenty feet beyond the Shade were the trees were thin. Meanwhile, Leaire was keeping up her banter with Durza.

"You didn't come all this way just to chat," she continued, "especially with half a dozen Urgals in tow." The horned creatures grumbled to each other in a harsh, guttural language. Durza began to reply, but Kairin could only hear Leaire inside her head.

"_In one second, I'm going to strike at him. I'm going to try and force him back into that clear spot. That way, Faeria can descend on him without risking her wings. Do you understand?"_ Durza was still speaking; Kairin could see his lips moving.

"_I understand." _As soon as the words were spoken, Leaire flew towards Durza. Caught unawares, he had just enough time to awkwardly lift his sword in defense. Kairin saw him take two steps backward before she spun around and descended on the Urgals.

Being as dim-witted as they were, Kairin had slain two before they reacted. The remaining four clumsily swarmed at her, lifting vicious-looking weapons. Kairin executed two butterfly strokes, one after the other, sweeping her blade across the faces of her attackers. Howling, one stepped backwards with its grubby hands on its bleeding face. Kairin sunk her blade into its stomach.

She dared a glance over her shoulder. Leaire and Durza were matching each other blow for blow, but the Shade's strength overpowered the elf's. Kairin watched him begin to push Leaire back under the trees when a sharp pain in her face brought her to attention.

One Urgal had stumbled forward and scratched her face with a long, black fingernail, his sword forgotten. He guffawed in delight at the sight of blood pouring from the wound, but was cut short by Kairin's sword in his belly. The other two descended, beating her with their clenched fists. Kairin stumbled and fell to the ground, her sword jarred from her grip and sent flying. The two creatures piled on top of her, scratching and biting, mauling every bit of her they could reach. She struggled for a moment, blood in her eyes, before managing to whip an arrow out of the quiver on her back. Swiftly, she sunk it into one, then the other, using it like a blunt knife. They howled for a moment before falling dead upon her.

She struggled to get free, panicky and sore, the stench of the Urgals suffocating her. Her energy was beginning to fail her when she heard Leaire scream in frustration. With a burst of adrenaline, she pushed the two monsters off of her and scrambled to her feet. Leaire was being pushed back farther and farther into the trees; Faeria wouldn't be able to reach them. Before the plan had fully formulated in her mind, Kairin sprung to action.

She sprinted past the two duelers towards the clearing; they were so immersed that neither noticed her go by. She stood in the center of the clearing and gazed up at the sky. A thrashing black shape was growing in the darkness above her. Kairin grinned in relief and looked back at the fighters in time to see Durza knock Leaire to her knees, disarmed. As he lifted his sword in mock casualness to deliver the final blow, Kairin screamed. He turned around just in time for Kairin's arrow to strike him in the shoulder.

He took the blow with a gasp, more of surprise than pain. Slowly, he lifted his hand to feel the blood trickling from the shaft. He raised his eyes, and they met with Kairin's. As they stared, he slowly and excruciatingly pulled the arrow out of his shoulder with one clenched fist. Kairin felt her stomach squirm horribly. Suddenly, without warning, Durza leapt forward with his sword outstretched, reaching for Kairin, his teeth clenched in a gruesome snarl. Kairin screwed her eyes shut, and as she prepared herself for the blow, she heard the long-awaited roar of Faeria. Her eyes flew open.

She was sitting on the ground, knocked over by the wind off the dragon's wings. Faeria had descended on the Shade, and now had him in her claws. She tore at him with all her talons, her teeth, the spikes on her tail, everything she had. Durza screamed a horrible shriek of pain before he was suddenly gone. All that remained in Faeria's claws was a thick cloud of pungent black smoke. His dying cry still echoed around the forest.

Faeria instantly went to Kairin and curled herself around her, making sure she was alright. Kairin was bruised and cut from her beating by the Urgals, but she scarcely felt the injuries. The close encounter with death had left her shaken. Her breath ragged, she raised her green eyes to Leaire, who was standing leaning on her rapier for support.

Their eyes met.


	5. Chapter five

Chapter six

**Chapter Five**

It took two days to travel through the Spine; its heavy brush and winding pathways made it a roundabout trip. At every rustle of the wind in the trees, Kairin's heart leapt. At night, she laid awake, rigid stiff, watching the trees around her as if she expected Durza to slink out from their shadowy cover. Soon after he had vanished, Leaire had reluctantly informed her that Durza was not dead; Shades were not so easy to destroy. They traveled in a weary, uneasy silence, with Faeria flying above as close to the treetops as she dared. It wasn't until the trees thinned and the ground became level that Kairin thought to ask the obvious question.

"Where are we going?" Leaire took a moment before she answered.

"I told you that I was taking you to Farthen Dur, yes? Farthen Dur lies in the Beor Mountains, quite far southeast of here."

"You're taking me to the Beors? That will take months!"

"I would take you to Ellesmera, but I don't believe you're ready yet."

"What is that supposed to mean? What kind of a city is Ellesmera if it won't take us in?" Kairin asked scathingly. Leaire searched for the right words and smiled.

"I have no doubt that you'll eventually visit it. And when you do, you'll understand." Kairin furrowed her brow.

"Elves are impossible to understand. I'd heard it before, and now I can personally testify: You're completely incomprehensible." Leaire's mouth tightened, and she narrowed her eyes as if trying to think of what to say. Kairin suddenly worried that she's hurt the woman's feelings.

"You'll understand," Leaire repeated tightly, before changing the subject.

"We're half a day's walk from Therinsford. We'll buy horses there, but it's a small town. We won't be able to get what we need there. We'll continue on to Yazuac to buy food and such. We're going to need to stock up before we reach the desert." Kairin's ears perked up.

"We're crossing the Hadarac? That's exciting!" no sooner than she had spoken, she realized how childish she sounded. "I mean, I've never seen it before." To Kairin's surprise, Leaire turned to beam at her.

"You're a Rider now, Kairin. And it is my hope and dream that someday you will be able to freely see the world." She spoke with such avid zeal that Kairin felt slightly embarrassed. "I'm going to set my life to bringing back the time of the Riders. It was an era that should not have been lost." Kairin got the feeling that Leaire was speaking more to herself than anyone else, and said nothing. Leaire fell silent as well, musing, her face the picture of hope.

"_I feel a little bit overwhelmed, now."_ Kairin said to Faeria, who was waiting some miles back until nightfall. As they moved nearer to the town, she had to keep herself more hidden.

"_Leaire didn't mean to make it sound as if it was your job to change the world."_

"_But she did," _Kairin said with a bit of a laugh. Leaire's voice jerked her out of Faeria's mind.

"Look, we've reached Therinsford." Indeed, they had just turned a long corner and a small town was now visible a quarter of a mile away. It was mostly a trading post with a few small cottages set around the outskirts, and so small that Kairin could see straight through the village to where the road continued on the other side.

"Kairin, look here." Kairin turned to see Leaire crouched by the side of the road, her fingers dipped in a pool of mud left over from the last rainstorm. She stood up and her hand was dripping with it.

"What are you doing with that?" Kairin asked, inching towards the woman, who was now rubbing it in between her hands into a sort of wet powder.

"Put this on your face," she said, extending her hands full of dirt. Kairin was nonplussed.

"What? Why on earth?"

"If someone sees you, all they're going to remember is a girl with a dirty face. It's what they'll notice." Kairin raised an eyebrow. "Trust me," Leaire said. Kairin reluctantly allowed the elf to smear a long trail of grime on her cheekbone.

"What about you?" Kairin demanded, feeling her now crusted-over skin. "I'm not going through with it if you're not." In response, Leaire pulled a vivid orange headscarf out of her bag and tied her hair into it.

"If anyone asks, they'll remember a woman with an orange scarf, and forget my face entirely."

"I don't see why I couldn't have the scarf and you the mud," Kairin grumbled, making Leaire smile.

"This way they can't see my blonde hair. Blonde hair is more memorable than brown," she said, indicating Kairin's long brunette locks. "And you're not as muddy as you think you are, I'm sure," the elf smiled.

The two strode into town, drawing many more looks than Kairin had expected. Her heart began to flutter with nervousness; did they know? As if she had read her mind, Leaire whispered to her.

"Strangers are probably very unusual these days. Not many people travel anymore." Her fears scarcely alleviated, she allowed Leaire to lead her to a wooden stable under a sign emblazoned with a picture of a running horse. Inside they found a man combing the mane of a sleek black mare.

"You're new," the man said obviously, giving the two women an appraising look before setting down his comb. He brushed his hands on his apron and offered one to Leaire, then Kairin, shaking hands roughly.

"Name's Haberth," he said, and left a polite silence for Kairin and Leaire to give theirs. When neither of them spoke, he raised his eyebrows and continued. "What can I do you for?" he asked.

"Two good horses, that can stand up to distance, and full sets of tack. Please," she added in a last-ditch effort at politeness. Haberth nodded and set to work collecting tack from the shelves behind him. He spoke as he worked.

"It's pretty strange seeing travelers out nowadays, especially so far north of the capital. What business brings you up here?"

"Yes, well, my sister and I are heading south for our cousin's wedding," Leaire lied skillfully. Haberth turned around for a moment to look at her before continuing his work.

"You're packed awfully heavy for just a trip."

"Yes, well our cousin's new husband has a flour mill," Kairin jumped in. "He says he can give us work there, and a place to live. We're moving." Haberth nodded in a disbelieving but disinterested way. He set the two sets of tack on the counter with a thud before moving to the horses. He looked each one over, his back turned to them, and continued.

"You two remind me of another pair traveling through here a little time ago. Needed two horses, 'strong and fast', they said. Said they were doing a lot of traveling." Haberth paused for a moment. "They didn't give their names either."

Kairin was puzzled as to why the man would even mention that to them, and tried to shoot Leaire a inquiring glace. The elf, however, had her eyes fixed on the man in awe.

"Was one an old man? He would be quite old, but still strong." Leaire was frowning. Kairin realized that she obviously was missing something.

"Come to think of it, he was. Tough old fellow, but he was sharp as a tack. He bought my best horse for two hundred crowns."

"You don't remember his companion, then, do you?" Leaire spoke like a person very close to uncovering some sort of secret.

"A young boy, he was. Only about your age, miss," he indicated Kairin. "Skinny sort of bloke, bright-eyed. Very quiet." Leaire exhaled slowly, her eyes glittering with indiscernible emotion. Kairin longed to probe into her mind and uncover her thoughts.

"Will these do, then?" Haberth led two young, strong horses from their stalls. One was a proud-looking bay who tossed his mane and the other a silky, deep black with a star on its face.

"Those will be perfect, thank you," said Leaire, dropping the previous subject abruptly. But, as she counted money out of her purse, she asked in a carefully nonchalant manner, "When did you say those two passed through here?" Haberth took the money from them and began to count it.

He clinked the coins in his hand. "You've given me extra," he said, dawning comprehension on his face. He paused before saying, "They went though about a month and a half ago. No more than two months." Leaire nodded without meeting his eyes.

"Thank you for the horses, Haberth. I enjoyed our conversation." Leaire led the two horses from the stable. Kairin snatched the tack from the countertop and followed her. They were scarcely out of earshot when Kairin pounced.

"What on earth was that about?" she demanded.

"I knew a man named Brom who lived in Caravahall. I came all the way up to this part of Alagaesia to see him. He was once very important to the Varden, you see. Well I did manage to reach Caravahall soon after I realized that Durza was on my tail. But Brom wasn't there, and no one seemed to know where he had gone. I couldn't imagine him leaving so quickly except for one reason." Leaire paused, and let the silence grow until Kairin protested.

"Oh for pity's sake, go on!"

"It was his job to teach and guide the new Rider of the Varden, if one ever came about." She said it in a quiet, pensive tone so that Kairin had to think twice to realize the actual magnitude of what that meant.

"He left to find me?" As she spoke those words, something in her mind started to click. "But no… the boy that traveled with him? Was he… could he even be…" Leaire shook her head.

"I believe it's altogether possible." Kairin's breath flew out of her in a giant whoosh. Even her thoughts were speechless. She wasn't alone.

"_Faeria, Faeria, were you listening?"_

"_Of course I was. Oh, Kairin."_

"_This is incredible."_

For the next three days, thoughts of another rider followed her. Haberth's words which at the time had seemed so inconsequential now rung in her ears. _A young boy, he was. Skinny sort of bloke, bright-eyed._ Leaire spoke to Kairin almost nonstop while they rode, and Kairin attempted to listen if only to draw her thoughts away from the boy in her imagination.

Leaire told her about dragons. She explained their growing cycle, their childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. She explained how Faeria would breathe fire some day. She told Kairin that once she had an adequate saddle, Faeria would become a better mount than any horse she had ever ridden. She also tried to explain how Faeria would change her.

"Dragons and Riders have a bond unlike anything else. They grow closer by the second. Soon, you will be as one spirit. Some of Faeria's magic will pass to you, and you'll become stronger and faster than you could have imagined."

"Will I be as strong as the elves?" Kairin wondered. Leaire began to say something, and stopped herself. She tried again, and stopped herself again. She eventually resigned herself to saying nothing, to Kairin's annoyance.

"If the answer is no, then just say no."

"The answer isn't no." She paused again. "Kairin, I want to tell you something, but I…" Leaire was cut off by the sound of a roar from up ahead. Suddenly, Faeria was upon them, flying out of the twilight sky like a hawk diving for prey.

"_I've just seen Yazuac,"_ she said, obviously distraught. Yazuac was not far ahead; Leaire had predicted that they would reach it by that night. Faeria had flown ahead to meet them on the outskirts.

"_What's wrong?"_ Kairin asked, reaching out her hand and placing it on Faeria's silver nose. She was kneading her claws into the dirt like a distressed cat.

"_It's horrible."_ She would say no more. She took off and sped toward the town again, cutting through the air. Kairin spurred her horse onward to gallop after her. Leaire was not far behind.

It was a four-minute gallop to the entryway to the town. Once her horse had passed through the outer gate, she slowed to a trot. The town was deathly silent, and eerily still. Kairin felt as if each hoof beat against the ground was a cannon blast in the night. Leaire pulled up close behind her, and Kairin could hear her quickened breathing. As they moved toward the center of town, the first thing Kairin noticed was the smell. It hit her like a wave, making her gag and her horse shy back. Leaire made a small noise of disgust beside her, but kept her composure. Kairin was suddenly afraid to move onward.

"_Go," _Faeria urged. _"Look and see what they've done." _Her mind shook with rage.

Kairin urged the horse farther, and a huge shape began to come into focus. In the fading light, it wasn't until she was very close to it that Kairin realized what it was. She gasped as tears instantly came to her eyes.

Before them was a giant heap of human skeletons. Bodies of bone and mostly decayed flesh were thrown unceremoniously on top of one another, until the entire town was gathered in the mass grave. Flies and carrion birds flew about the pile, squabbling over the last remaining bits of flesh. Kairin could do nothing but stare in awe, her hand clamped over her mouth in an attempt to stave off the stench. Leaire edged her horse closer to the pile and picked up a barbed spear wedged into the skeleton of an infant child. Her arm began to shake, and she dropped the spear as if it was hot.

"Urgals have done this," she breathed, "but the tracks are old, and the bodies are mostly… decayed… as you can see." She shook her head tragically. "There's nothing we can do for them now." She turned her head away from the gory scene and trotted her horse towards the far end of the city.

"Where are we going now?" Kairin asked, tearing her eyes away from the pile to follow Leaire.

"Daret is close. We can get what we need there before heading for Hadarac."

Faeria took the longest to move away from the bones in the square. She caught up with Kairin farther up and flew circles around her like a vulture. The great dragon continued to snap her jaws together in distress, throwing the horses into a slight panic. Kairin's horse let out a long, low whinny that caused Faeria to snort with smugness.

"_Look at that skittish creature. I could snap it in two with my tail."_

"_You know that I would rather be riding you. But you're a little eye-catching, did you know that?" _Kairin smiled up at her. _"Horses are a safer bet."_

"_I can see you have no affection for it; you haven't even named it yet."_

"_Aye! It's bad luck to ride a horse without a name. I like Eriere. I once wrote a story where the hero had a horse named Eriere."_

"_How sweet," _Faeria teased, her teeth bared in a reptilian smile. Kairin was thinking up a reply when something on the ground caught her eye. Another skeleton lay broken on the ground. This one was different from the others; it was huge, with strange short legs and a massive skull from which sprouted two curled horns. Kairin recognized it as an Urgal from those. The bones weren't white like the humans were, but totally charred to an ashy black. An Urgal breastplate lay not far from the body, burned almost out of recognition.

As her gaze fixed upon the breastplate, her palm began to tingle. She looked down at her hand to see that her gedwey ignasia was glowing faintly. Her eyes widened as she watched her skin glow, and she ran her left index finger over it. As soon as she'd touched it, she pulled away with a sharp gasp. Her palm was hot as flame. Intrigued, she kicked her heels into Eriere and caught up with Leaire.

"Look, Leaire, look at my hand." She flung her palm into Leaire's face so that she could see. "It's glowing. Why is it glowing?" Leaire took Kairin's hand in hers to study it. "And look, touch it. It's burning hot!" Leaire cautiously put her finger to Kairin's skin, pulled it away quickly, and put it back. She paused with an expression of curiosity before pressing her whole hand onto Kairin's.

"Doesn't that burn?" Kairin asked suspiciously. Leaire shook her head.

"No, Kairin, it feels absolutely fine." Kairin stuck her finger back onto her palm stubbornly. She held it there for a moment, frowning, before pressing her hand to her face. It was utterly normal.

"I swear it was scorching hot a moment ago," Kairin said almost inaudibly. She was beginning to doubt herself.

"Kairin?" Leaire was looking down her slender nose at her. "We should be going; staying here much longer does not seem appealing." Leaire tugged Eriere's bride gently while nudging her own horse, spurring both animals slowly forward.


	6. Chapter six

Review answers

Chapter Six

It was only a few days before Kairin and Leaire arrived at Daret. Faeria had been left behind, to her disgust, in the wilderness a few miles back. The town had clearly been spared by the Urgal's raid, but the roads were scarcely more populated than Yazuac's had been. Simply by riding through the main street, Kairin and Leaire attracted looks of all type, ranging from terror to pure hatred. Mother's clutched to their children as the pair rode by. Out of apprehension, Kairin linked with Faeria.

"_This is worse than I'd imagined." _Through Kairin's eyes, Faeria could see the town. Kairin felt her vague surprise as she took in the barricaded streets and boarded-up houses.

"_They couldn't have been unaffected by the massacre at Yazuac, but even so, it was months ago. Something must be happening here."_

Leaire, who was steering her horse close alongside Eriere, slid her hand into Kairin's. She gave her a quick glance that simply said: Be careful. Leaire slid off of her horse and began to lead him by the bridle; Kairin followed suit. They walked into the town square.

It was a generic center to a city; round, with shops and a well. But all the streets besides the one that Leaire and Kairin had come from were barricaded off with debris from buildings, wagons, and Kairin could even make out the gears from a clock tower. The shops were dark and closed, and the well boarded up. Everything gave off a vibe of hostility. There were only three people in the square, who hadn't retreated behind the barricades. One was a tall, stocky man who sat on the closed-up well. The other two were behind the counter of a slapdash trading post, little more than a lean-to with goods to sell.

Leaire approached the man on the well; he was obviously in charge. He stood up and spoke before she had the chance.

"I don't care about where you've been or where you're going," he began shortly. "There's nothing that can convince me you aren't lying anyway." Kairin couldn't prevent her eyebrows from shooting up. The man obviously cared very little about pleasantries. Leaire, however, was hardly fazed.

"We need supplies, as many and as much as you can supply." The man blinked twice.

"Fine. We don't let travelers into our regular shops anymore, but we have a booth up there for people like you." Kairin looked over at the shoddy stall, and for the first time looked at the people inside it. They were two gaunt, pitifully emaciated young women with terribly sunken eyes. Kairin's heart froze.

"I thought that the slave trade hadn't spread past Gil'ead," remarked Leaire icily. As she spoke, Kairin noticed the manacles on their wrists. The man spoke up immediately, his voice suddenly lacking its previous hardness.

"We've been seeing a lot more Empire soldiers down here of late," he began almost conversationally. "They pedal their slaves to us instead of actually paying for their goods. They seem to think they're doing us a favor," he said angrily before quickly falling silent, his jaw tightening. He obviously thought that he had said too much.

"Then you should free them." Kairin spoke up for the first time. "If you don't want them, free them." Her hands began to shake with rage.

"I can't do that," the man said haltingly. He was obviously uncomfortable with the way the conversation had turned. "It's against Empire law to free any slave, no matter whose ownership it's under."

"'it'? You're calling a human being an '_it_'?" Kairin's voice became shrill. Leaire quickly seized Kairin by the forearm and pulled her away, towards the stall. Kairin could not look at the two women as Leaire bought supplies from them; she stood glaring fixedly in the other direction. Leaire hurried her through the town, trying to forestall making a scene. Kairin's hands were still shaking.

Kairin hardly noticed that they were almost out of the city until the huge gate suddenly loomed before them. Four men stood in the portcullis, and even from far away Kairin recognized their shabbiness.

"It seems that they need slaves to guard their gate for them as well," Kairin spat, speaking quickly. Leaire said nothing, but attempted to move Kairin faster to the outside. As they passed under the portcullis, Kairin couldn't help but stare at the slave guards. They were just as starved as the women, with the same sunken eyes. Each one held a sword, but in their untrained hands they looked little more than metal clubs. As she stared, something caught Kairin's eyes that made her mind explode with fury.

Around each man's neck was a cruel iron ring attached to a chain that ran into the ceiling. The chains were so short that the men were forced to stand up straight at the risk of hanging themselves with their own collars. Kairin stopped walking as her mind exploded with fury.

"How dare they? How _dare_ someone take ownership of another person like this!" she ejaculated. Kairin didn't notice that her gedwey ignasia had started to glow. "What good does this do? This is pitiless!" She was nothing short of screaming now. Suddenly, something in her mind shattered away, leaving her thoughts clear and precise. Without thinking, Kairin threw her hand towards the chains on the ceiling.

"Brisingr!" She shouted, knowing not where it came from. The chains melted in a shower of sparks, causing the men to drop their swords and flee. The four slaves sprinted out of the gate and onto the path outside. Within moments, they were gone.

"Kairin!" Leaire's voice was frightened. "We have to get out of here before someone finds us!" Kairin said nothing and obliged, throwing herself onto Eriere and galloping out of the city, Leaire at her side.

They rode until the sun had begun to dip into the treetops, leaving the land bathed in twilight. They came to a small clearing in the forest where a tiny brook flowed through the roots of a tree. Leaire slowed her horse to a walk and then to a full stop, dismounting wearily. Kairin mechanically followed suit. Faeria was on her way; Kairin could feel her in the back of her mind.

"That was some performance you had back there," Leaire said in a voice that was clearly supposed to be disapproving, but somehow fell short. "You could have gotten us arrested."

"But I didn't," Kairin replied, unable to stifle a smile. "And I freed those men."

"You have no idea," Leaire began again, this time without an ounce of leniency in her voice. "How on earth do you think they'll survive? You saw how starved they were. They're kept that way by law, so that they're weak and won't try to escape. Those men don't last a chance in the wild, Kairin."

The weight of Leaire's words sunk in. Kairin's bubble of self-righteousness was popped. She slipped to her knees and onto the ground in horror. Seeing this, Leaire fell to the ground beside her and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You don't need to dwell on it, but still don't forget. You did what you thought was right, but you must remember the consequences of your actions." Kairin made no response, and Leaire gave her a soft kiss on the forehead.

"If I was any sort of credible Rider trainer, I would be ripping you apart right now," she continued lightly. "But I personally think that your little discovery deserves a celebration." She untangled herself from Kairin and crossed to her horse; she began to rummage through her saddlebags.

"Discovery?" Kairin spoke up. "What discovery?" She suddenly remembered the feeling that had overtaken her back at Daret. She felt the barriers in her mind snap, her mind being flooded with that sharp, cool power. She remembered the words that she hadn't told herself to speak and the fire shooting from her fingertips. She sat up poker-straight.

"Leaire… what was that? What did I do?" Leaire turned to face her, her arms full and face beaming.

"That was something that Riders usually don't discover until they're halfway through their training. That… was magic." Leaire's eyes glittered in anticipation, but Kairin could say nothing.

"I'm sure you know that elves have powers," she said, putting the bundle in her arms on the ground. She straightened up into a serene stance, her palms pressed together in front of her and her eyes closed as if in prayer. She stood that way for a moment before her hands were suddenly forced apart by a crackling blue thunderbolt. The streak of flickering lightning danced around her fingers as Leaire let it wander free, smiling down at it as if it were some kind of pet. Leaire snapped her hands together again with a sharp clap, destroying the lightning all too soon. Once it was gone, Kairin realized that she had stood up and was leaning towards Leaire; her eyes alight like a child's. She drew back, embarrassed.

"You mean to tell me that I can do that?" Kairin lifted her own hands for inspection, unable to imagine the blue lightning threading through her clumsy fingers. Leaire took Kairin's outstretched hands in hers and squeezed them in excitement.

"You will! I swear that you will perform magic far greater than that. All Riders are blessed with magic that rivals that of the elves." Kairin's eyes widened.

"An elf?" she laughed out loud. "In my wildest dreams I never imagined that I might be as strong as an elf!" Leaire took an awkward pause before her smile widened, slightly more forced than before. Kairin scarcely noticed, for the air was suddenly filled with the sound of Faeria's wings.

"_Have you heard this, Faeria?" _Kairin spun to greet the silver dragon as she dropped out of the darkening sky, weaving between the trees.

"_I'm proud of you,"_ she hummed.

"I'm glad you're here, Faeria," Leaire began to rummage through the bundle she'd gotten out of her saddlebags before emerging with a long cord of rope. "I'd like to measure you, if you don't mind," she asked politely, brandishing the rope towards Faeria. Faeria shuffled her feet, setting her scales to rattling.

"_She may," _she conceded, bored.

"She said you can," Kairin translated. "What are you doing?" She watched as Leaire wrap the rope around Faeria's neck and shoulders at all different angles, marking the places with her fingers and whispering softly to herself.

"You'll see," she said simply, unwilling to be distracted. When she was finished, she set the rope aside and unrolled a huge patch of thick leather. She began to mark the leather with mud from the brook.

"Leaire, tell me what you're doing!" Kairin's natural curiosity was fully alive now. Leaire just smiled, keeping her eyes on her work. She began to cut shapes out of the leather with a thick, short knife from her boot until the entire length of leather was lying in strips and pieces on the ground. Her nimble fingers moving quickly, she began to tie and fit the leather together until she had a faintly familiar shape in her hands. She stood up, holding it out towards Kairin, a smirk on her face.

"This is for you."

"Oh come now, stop teasing," Kairin scolded, giving Leaire a wry grin.

"_It's a saddle, Kairin," _said Faeria, vibrating with excitement. _"It's time for you to become a true Rider."_ Kairin's eyes snapped back to meet Leaire's.

"A saddle? Truly?" Enthusiasm bubbled up in Kairin, and she threw a glance over to Faeria, who stretched her wings expectantly. Kairin's eyes swept the huge span before resting on the hollow in her neck where the Rider was meant to sit. The enthusiasm bubbles began to pop as pure apprehension took over. Suddenly Faeria seemed very hard, and her spikes seemed very sharp. She looked up into the night sky and the stars seemed farther from the ground than ever before.

"_I'll take care of you, Kairin." _Faeria touched her nose to Kairin's.

"You don't have to try tonight," Leaire stepped in, reading the nerve's in Kairin's face easily. "Wait until you're ready." Kairin gave her a small, grateful smile.

"But let's not get lazy. Come now, draw your sword!" Leaire pulled her rapier out of its scabbard on the ground and turned to face Kairin, a corner of her mouth turned up in a half-smile. Leaire and Kairin had taken to sparring every night, as part of Kairin's training. She had yet to put up a real fight for the elf, and the bruises on her body proved that. Kairin eyed Leaire's rapier with apprehension.

"But Leaire, we'll cut each other to ribbons if we use real swords!" The two of them had always fought with tree branches before, for fear of actually wounding each other.

"I think it's time to see how well you can summon up your magic, Kairin." Leaire placed the tip of her forefinger to the point of her rapier and spoke loudly. "Gëuloth du knífr!" A spark appeared on her finger, and she ran it down the length of the blade on both sides. When she was finished, she shook her hand and extinguished the spark, offering the rapier to Kairin.

"Touch it. Go on, feel the blade," she urged. Cautiously, Kairin pressed her finger to the sharp metal. To her surprise, the weapon had been dulled so that all she felt was the cool, smooth metal. She pressed hard and ran her fingers across it, something that usually would have sliced her open. Gleefully, she went for her scabbard.

The unexpected fear she found in the thought of riding Faeria had shocked Kairin. She was resolute in finding a way to channel her disappointment. The blade made a resounding metallic note on its scabbard as she pulled it out. Determinedly, she mimicked Leaire and put her finger on the tip of her sword.

"Gëuloth du knífr!" she said, halfway confident. Nothing happened. Kairin pressed down slightly, an felt the poke of the sharp blade. "Gëuloth du knífr!" she barked again, still to no avail. Frustration swelled up inside her, but she hurriedly pushed it away. This time she concentrated, glaring at the sword in her hands, her head beginning to ache with the effort. Unexpectedly, some intangible wall inside her mind broke, immersing her thoughts in the same cool concentration that had overtaken her at Daret. "Gëuloth du knífr!" she said again, this time in a calm assurance. A spark flickered to life on her fingertip and she moved it down the blade, as Leaire had. When she was finished, she eagerly rubbed her hand across the blade, ecstatic to feel that it had lost all it's sharpness.

"_Bravo, little one!" _Faeria cheered. Leaire nodded in rigorous approval, to which Kairin beamed.

"Are you ready? Go." Leaire spoke softly, and began to circle. Kairin followed suit, the heavy sword feeling unfamiliar in her hands after weeks of sparring with sticks. She flexed her fingers around the metal, trying to get used to it. Before she was entirely prepared, Kairin feinted, spinning her sword halfway to Leaire's face, who began to block. Taking advantage of that, Kairin tried to spin around to the other side, but wasn't quick enough to beat Leaire, who switched hands like lightning and beat Kairin's sword away. Their blades met with a bone-jarring crash. Kairin's sword spun away, and Leaire jabbed her rapier towards her chest. Kairin squirmed ungracefully out of the way and spun, maneuvering herself to Leaire's side and slashing towards her sword arm. Unable to block, the weapon smashed into the elf's arm, bruising the fair skin. Leaire tossed her rapier and caught it with the other hand, flexing her injured arm to rid herself of the pain, her eyes never leaving Kairin's. They began to circle again. At the same moment, the two lunged for each other, their weapons meeting in the air with a musical crash. Both of them struggled for a moment, trying to gain the advantage, before Leaire suddenly danced away, leaving Kairin strumbling to regain her footing. Leaire switched her rapier back to her dominant hand, waiting for Kairin to recover. Before she was completely oriented, Kairin leapt, delivering a flimsy strike that Leaire blocked easily. Leaire returned the blow, which Kairin blocked by luck alone. Kairin attempted to force Leaire's weapon down so she could get a hit in, but Leaire was too quick. She pulled her rapier away from Kairin's and it flashed to her throat.

"You're dead," Leaire said simply. Kairin dropped her sword in disgust and fell to the ground, breathing heavily. Leaire sat beside her, and Kairin could see that she was hardly even winded.

"That really was excellent," said Leaire.

"I still lost," replied Kairin.

"That is to be expected," Leaire said soothingly. "You're less experienced than I, and I am-" Kairin cut her off.

"You're what, an elf? I know Leaire. I'm painfully aware of my humanity. Even as a Rider, I can never be as strong as you." Her voice was filled with reproach as she glared at Leaire. The woman shook her head, dumbstruck.

"I… I wasn't going to say that," she began. "Kairin, I need to tell you…" she began somewhat awkwardly. However, Kairin was no longer paying attention to her. Faeria, who had been dozing off curled around the trunk of a giant tree, was now fully alert, staring into the distance with her nostrils flared.

"Faeria? What's the matter?" Kairin asked aloud. She got to her feet to cross to the dragon, hands outstretched, and didn't see Leaire's hand stray to her rapier. Faeria's only reply was a long, rumbling snarl. Suddenly a voice made Kairin spin around.

"A reunion among friends is something quite wonderful, is it not?" The syrup-sweet voice made Kairin's blood turn to ice. Standing just outside the circle of firelight, shadows playing across his face, was Durza the Shade.

Slowly, he drew his sword.


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Kairin's muscles tensed as every survival instinct in her body kicked in. Everything slid out of focus except for Durza's smug, smiling face; it seemed as if the world swirled around the slim body of the shade. Kairin's hand itched in with her desire to grasp her fingers around the hilt of her sword, but it lay abandoned in on the dusty ground where she had dropped it in her fit of pique. From the corner of her eye she could see that Leaire had already unsheathed her weapon and stood facing Durza with all the strength of a warrior. Durza's eyes lazily flitted between the two women, painfully obvious in his self-assurance that victory was near.

"You're dead." Kairin hadn't meant to say the words aloud, but her confusion was infuriating her. She had seen Durza ripped apart at the claws of her own dragon, she had _seen_ it... hadn't she?

Durza gave her a look of digust.

"Really, child, do you know nothing of this world? It takes more than the claws of some overgrown lizard to destroy me." Faeria growled quietly, a sound loaded with ferocity that did nothing to unease the shade.

"Your elf-teacher has been remiss if she hadn't already told you that I'm still alive." Leaire said nothing, made no move. Durza's eyes took on a sudden glint of light, narrowing slightly as he studied the elf's impassive face. A slow, awful smile crept onto his face, revealing small and pointed teeth.

"I wonder what else she hasn't told you." At these words, Leaire made a slight move forward, almost giving up her ground. She froze once more, a line now etched between her brows.

"Ah, the elf," he said mockingly. His maroon eyes shifted to Kairin. His smile widened again, revealing pointed teeth.

"Where _are_ your manners, elf? You've never even told her about her own childhood, her own family. About Du Weldenvarden."

"It is neither yours or my place to discuss these things now, shade." When Leaire finally spoke, her voice was stronger and firmer than Kairin would have expected.

"Ah, yes. Not Kairin's place to know herself. Let her believe in her humanity, of course, at least humans are easier to kill."

Kairin could no longer ignore these strange words as her bafflement finally outweighed her terror.

"I may be human, Durza," she began, willing her voice not to shake, "but I will still destroy you." Durza cocked his head to one side.

"You certainly speak like one. Perhaps there really is no trace left in you of the elf you once were."

Kairin's stomach dropped. _Elf I once was? _She was dumbfounded enough to pull her gaze away from the shade's maroon eyes and look to Leaire. It was Leaire's expression - not one of defiance or anger, but of guilt and panic - that finally unnerved her. Kairin began to back away, towards Faeria.

"What are you saying?" Kairin demanded, hating herself for playing into his hands. Durza smiled his widest yet.

"Enough!" Leaire's voice rang out across the night. "You taunt us! Enough words, shade!" Leaire pounced before the last words had left her mouth, but Durza was quick. He raised his sword with ease and battered her away, striking at her hip, which she blocked with equal agility.

"Run, Kairin, go!" Leaire shrieked, trading blows with Durza too quick for Kairin's eyes to see.

Kairin didn't hesitate. She leapt up into the air as she spun around, turning her back on the battle. Faeria snaked under her and the moment Kairin was seated on her back, took off into the sky with dizzying speed.

Kairin twisted her head towards the earth, but both elf and shade were engulfed in a cloud of dust from their vigorous footwork. Kairin watched as a tear slid from her eye and plummeted towards the earth below.

Kairin awoke when the sun rose. The two had been flying for most of the night, until sometime in the early morning. Faeria had been flying so close to the ground that her claws kept dragging across the earth but it wasn't until Kairin, weak and numb from riding, tumbled from her back and onto the dusty plains that they came to a halt. They had fallen asleep where they lay, too exhausted for words.

Kairin sat up and surveyed her surroundings. She couldn't have been sleeping for much more than an hour or two. Faeria opened a bleary eye and, on seeing that Kairin was awake, stretched her neck out and gave a great yawn, scales rustling.

"We may be in trouble, Faeria." The dragon fixed her pearly eyes on Kairin.

"_We must think our way out of this one."_

"Thinking wastes time, Faeria, we need to go back." At this, Faeria swung her neck around to fit Kairin under her full gaze.

"_Leaire is a skilled fighter, but shades are formidable creatures. She may not be alive. Durza may already be looking for us. Perhaps the wisest thing for us to do would be to leave the elf to her own fate." _Kairin leapt to her feet.

"Faeria! She saved us from the shade twice now. She's our only guide, our only link to the Varden and those who want to help us. We can't survive without her."

"_We can indeed survive without her, Kairin, even if you don't want to." _There was a pause as Faeria waited for the words Kairin did not want to admit. Aware that the dragon was watching her, Kairin reached up and felt the tips of her ears.

They felt as they had always felt under her fingertips, but Kairin suddenly paid close attention to the way they tapered to a slight point. She brought her hands in front of her face and scrutinized them too; had her fingers always been so long and slender? Surely they were the hands of an ordinary human.

"_You believe him." _Faeria said simply. Kairin looked up at her. "_The shade. You're doubting you're a real human." _Confused and overwhelmed, Kairin buried her face in her hands and spoke with her mind.

"_I don't know anything about myself. It's not far-fetched to believe that he knows more than I do."_

Faeria said nothing.

"_Could I be an elf? He said that I was 'once' an elf, what can that mean?"_

Faeria remained impassive. Kairin took a handful of dirt and threw it in front of her, watching it scatter into the wind. When the air had cleared, she got to her feet and looked to the horizon.

"Whatever the truth is, he's certainly achieved his goal - I am utterly unnerved." The dragon responded by wrapping her neck around Kairin's shoulders and humming deeply.

"_Courage, my hatchling. All will be revealed in time." _

"Time is something we don't have," replied Kairin, not unkindly. With an unspoken agreement, Kairin climbed onto Faeria's back and nestled herself into the hollow of the dragon's shoulder blades. They were going back.

The scabs from flying without a saddle instantly began to prickle, but Kairin pushed it aside as Faeria took off and for the first time, she felt the exhiliration that was flying.

The world below spun away at an alarming rate, but Kairin felt nothing but secure on the back of her dragon. This was a proper flight, not an escape, and in the air the two became one. They cut through the sky, watching as miles melted away below them.

Faeria's keen eyes spotted the camp before Kairin's, and as they circled down towards it Kairin began to see that the scene was mostly the way they had left it - Kairin's sword lay where she had dropped it, her saddlebags and Eriere's saddle were still stacked where she had put them. The only real difference was that the scene was utterly deserted; no sign of Eriere, Durza, or Leaire. As they touched down, a plume of dust rose around Faeria's claws.

"Careful, Faeria. I have to read that ground." Lightly, Kairin slipped from Faeria's scaly back and allowed her legs to buckle underneath her as she had expected. Kairin leaned over the ground, studying the patterns that lay before her.

There were footprints all around, particularly dense and erratic in one spot. That was the sword fight. Kairin crawled a little ways away; a messy scuff mark, the imprint of a falling body, and beside it a handprint. The hand was the same size as Leaire's. _She had fallen and tried to stand, _Kairin determined. There was then a mess of prints so crowded Kairin couldn't make them out, and a column of unfamiliar prints, large and evil looking. The last thing she could make out was two long lines on the ground, with footprints between them. Just like tracking animals in the Spine, Kairin deduced what had happened.

"_Look, Faeria." _The dragon, who had been sniffing around the circumference of the site, looked her way._ "They took her away on some kind of stretcher, see those two lines? They tied her to that and dragged it away. Or at least that's what I can make of it."_

"_Very good, huntress, but look at those tracks there - the big ones. They stink of Urgal. Durza must have summoned Urgals to help him take Leaire to Gil'ead. We can't overtake an army of Urgals and a Shade, not just the two of us."_

"We'll pursue them, then!" cried Kairin, passion overtaking her. "They can't have her, Faeria, and if the fact that we owe her our lives isn't incentive enough, we can't have servants of the Empire learning all about her - and us!" Faeria arched her neck.

"_You're right. Of course. Yes, you're right. Come now, we can't lose any more time."_

Kairin hurriedly retrieved her sword and Eriere's saddlebags. She considered the horse's saddle for a moment, and left it, saying a hurried prayer for her lost horse's soul under her breath. She spread the horse's blanket over Faeria's back to cushion her sharp scales, strapped the saddlebags to the spikes on her spine, and mounted her once more.

They flew as high as they dared, not speaking. Faeria scanned the ground with her sharp eyes while Kairin periodically pulled out a small, circular mirror that Leaire had given her to murmur the words "draumr kopa."

Each time she scried, Kairin saw Leaire's face; she was unconscious and looked unwell, but she was alive. That small wonder was enough to keep dragon and dragon rider flying deep into the afternoon.

It was evening before they saw the telltale cloud of dust kicked up by the Urgals' boots, and by the time they were close enough to make out the individual shapes of the creatures, Gil'ead had come into view.

"There." Kairin's voice was resigned as she pointed towards the earth. There among the swarming black bodies of the Urgals it was clear to see a slight woman with long blonde hair, trussed up and dragged along by the monsters. There was nothing for the pair to do but watch as the small army surged through the gates of the city, Leaire in tow.

"_This is just what we expected, but it still seems worse."_

"_I cannot say you are wrong. I just hoped that Durza would have left for more important matters."_

The shade had not left; they had seen him striding along as swift as the Urgals, keeping close to the litter that held Leaire. The mere sight of him had kept Faeria and Kairin from descending upon the Urgals on sight.

"_They've just captured an elf, Faeria. And better yet, an elf who can reveal everything about a certain young Rider; the king will be happy tonight."_

"_Curse that egg-breaker and all who serve him."_

"_Land. We need a plan."_


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Time was not on their side.

"Faeria, the only way to do this is to sacrifice safety for speed. Durza won't keep her long in Gil'ead, it will be straight to Uru'Baen before long."

They were a short distance from the city gates, hidden among a group of cliffs. Kairin sat cross legged before a crude map of the city they had compiled earlier, drawn from an aerial view. They had spent the afternoon flying above the city, hidden among the clouds, trying to glean as much information as they could. They had guessed which building they kept Leaire in from the amount of Urgals they counted going in and out of it throughout the day; it was a large and sturdy-looking building. They had dipped below the clouds to get a closer look and saw it to be some kind of prison. They had also noticed that the roof had been recently torn apart and hurriedly repaired. This weakness was noted with great detail on the map.

"_I don't see why I can't come with you," _she puffed smoke from her jaws and snapped them closed with a pop. "_I'm not like your deer animal pack horse, I am a fighter and half of your strength." _Kairin pressed her face into Faeria's scales.

"_You are all of my strength, but you'll slow me down once we get inside. Just be ready to fly us out once I find Leaire."_

Faeria responded with more snaps of her jaw.

"_Stay on your guard, will you, little elf?" _Kairin pulled away from Faeria and glared up at her.

"Don't taunt me like that. Durza was lying. He was trying to confuse me."

"_Lies or not, you're stronger and smarter than any human. Don't deny what you are, it will only dim your path. Just be quick, my hatchling, and be safe."_

Kairin gathered her map, buckled her sword around her waist, and tied a long skirt over her it, covering her scabbard and britches underneath. She threw her arms around the dragon's neck, feeling the warmth of the fire within her. It took all of her bravery to pull away. Without another look or another word, Kairin began running with all her speed towards the gates of Gil'ead, afraid that if she lingered her strength would fail her.

The sun was nearly set when she reached the gate, and even though she had expected it her heart began to pound when the guard lowered his pike to bar her path.

"Business in the city?" the man drawled lazily. Kairin lifted a brace of fish she had caught in the river earlier.

"I live here. Caught up these'n fish today, goin' home now," Kairin stammered, trying her best at a peasant's accent.

"You don't look familiar," the guard said, lifting the visor on his helmet to see her better. His tone was far from accusatory, but still Kairin's knees grew slightly weak.

"She look familiar to you, Glenn?" the guard called over to his fellow, who sat lounging with his eyes closed against the wall, helmet beside him, pike set across his knees. Glenn gave a quick glance over.

"Yeah yeah, think I saw her leave the city this morning," he waves a gloved hand. "In you go, love," he added with a wink. Kairin bowed her head and hurried into the city, ignoring Glenn's call of "see you around, pretty girl!" behind her.

Once inside, Kairin was relieved to quickly get her bearings. The prison wasn't far. She glanced up into the sky; by some stroke of luck the evening was as cloudy as the afternoon had been. Kairin could see no trace of Faeria high above, but could feel her distant presence.

Up close, the prison was far more formidable. The guards posted at each entrance stood at attention, taking their jobs more seriously than Glenn and his companion at the gate, and far more heavily armed. Kairin quickly gave up hope of entering the building through any door. She circled the building, looking as inconspicuous as possible, before she noticed it: a tiny, barred window set right against the ground. A furtive glance around proved the street to be empty, and Kairin rushed over to it and peered inside.

The window led to a small, underground cell that was blessfully uninhabited. The bars on the window were just far apart enough for Kairin to slide inside, but the fall was further than she had anticipated. She crumpled to the ground inside and stuffed a fist into her mouth to keep from crying out in pain. Her left leg had folded awkwardly beneath her and her ankle and knee throbbed. She tried to stand and succeeded, but shakily.

Kairin took in her surroundings. The cell in which she stood was unremarkable, just a square box of walls with a cot pushed against one wall. Kairin took off her overskirt and left it on the cot, freeing her legs. The barred door was closed, and Kairin reached towards it, pulling at the magic at the edge of her consciousness and ready to use it, when the gedway ignasia on her palm began to glow.

She snatched her hand back, afraid someone would see the light, and felt that her palm had grown hot. _It's like Yazuac, _she thought to herself, _when I saw the burned Urgal breastplate._

Pushing this small mystery to the back of her mind, she reached towards the door again and unlocked it with a few choice words from the ancient language.

In the dark hall, Kairin paused to collect her bravery. Which way was Leaire? Kairin closed her eyes and whispered "Thverr stenr un atra eka hórna!" Suddenly every noise in the prison sounded in her ears as if it was right beside her. She listened closely until she heard the gruff voice of a man.

"...Said we couldn't take no chances with this elf. Said we hadta keep torches blazin' all bloody night, said people were gonna come up in the dark, he said."

Kairin snapped her head towards the rightmost passage; the whisper had come from there.

"Dunno who's so bein' so keen ta save the likes of this creature," another voice replied to the first. "Elvish folk make me feel summat strange, unnatural-like."

Kairin began creeping towards the voices, letting go of the magic that allowed her to hear them once she was in earshot. She could see the glow of torches from around the corner; with a few more whispered words, she extinguished them.

The ensuing panic made the battle quite easy for Kairin, whose eyes had already attuned to the darkness. The first man rushed around the corner towards her and she swiftly knocked him out with a blow from her sword hilt, and rounded the corner herself to meet the second guard head-on.

He was flailing in the darkness, clearly unable to see, and Kairin disarmed him easily. As his sword clattered to the floor, the man fell to his knees after it but halted as Kairin pressed the tip of her sword into his neck.

"Give me the keys to the elf's cell."

"I-I don't-"

"Give them to me!"

She pressed the sword closer to his throat and raised her hand, gedway ignasia gleaming in the dark.

"Who are you?" he stammered.

"None of your concern," Kairin growled in response. A gleam of silver from the man's belt grabbed her attention – the keys.

"Slytha," Kairin breathed, and the man instantly crumpled in sleep.

Kairin retrieved the keys and picked a silver one. She tried to fit it into the lock on the door the guards had been flanking – no luck. She tried a second, then a third. She tried a fourth, knowing she was wasting precious time. The fifth key produced a satisfying click as she turned it in the lock, and threw open the door.

Leaire lay sprawled on the floor, no cot to speak of. Kairin rushed to her side and tried to wake her; the memory of their first meeting rushed into her head.

"_Leaire!" _she hissed. No response. Kairin seized the elf around her slender waist and threw her over her shoulder.

She moved through the halls as fast as she could, ignoring the whispers and jeers from other prisoners locked in their cells. Kairin reached out with her mind until she felt Faeria high above.

"_We're coming. Now." _She felt a faint recognition from Faeria and was dimly aware of the dragon beginning to descend onto the roof as Kairin desperately searched for a way to the top level.

Leaire's weight did nothing to help Kairin's injured leg, and she was infuriatingly aware that she was losing both speed and stamina. Once she had finally located a tall spiral staircase, it took everything she had left in her to climb it. It let out into some kind of weaponry; Kairin collapsed at the stop of the stairs and upset a rack of spears. The ensuing clatter made her cringe, but it was nothing compared to the sound of Faeria landing on the roof above her.

The ceiling was new – clearly it had suffered some kind of damage and repair recently – and it took little effort for Faeria's claws to rip through the unfinished wood. The dragon poked her long neck into the hole she had rent, stretching towards Kairin with desperation.

"_Come, Kairin, come!" _when she saw that the girl could not stand, Faeria forced herself into the room with an almighty shove and landed heavily on the ground, knocking shelves of unsheathed swords about and receiving several deep cuts to her hind legs.

"_Faeria, lift me up!" _Obediently, the dragon seized the fabric of Kairin's tunic in her mouth and lifted her onto her back, doing the same with Leaire before leaping once more through the wasted ceiling into the night sky.

"Fly, Faeria, now!" Kairin shrieked. For scores of prison guards had heard the clamor and now surged from the staircase into the weaponry and onto the roof.

Faeria threw herself from the roof, her wings strained from the extra weight, and lifted into the air just as the first group of men climbed out of the hole. Kairin head a twang of bowstrings and the whiz of flying arrows. Most of them clattered off Faeria's scales, and the rest pierced her wings, making her roar in pain. Kairin winced with sympathetic pain, and then let out a scream of her own when a shaft bit into her upper arm, just above the elbow.

Kairin turned behind her, her hair snapping in the wind.

"BRISINGR!" she screamed, putting her magic behind it. A huge burst of silver fire exploded on the roof, greeted with shrieks from the guards. Kairin turned around again, utterly spent. Making sure Leaire was tightly seated; she lay on Faeria's neck, avoiding her spikes. Even though the pain of her arm was harsh and the wind bit against her skin, Kairin fell into a feverish sleep.


	9. Chapter Nine

Kairin woke up pressed against Faeria's side, head resting on her front leg, a pattern of her scaled imprinted across her cheek. She groggily sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. They were on the ground, Leaire sprawled close by. Kairin stood and looked all around; they were closeby to a riverbank, covered under a thin grove of trees. There was not a soul or city in sight. Faeria slept on uneasily, her breathing heavy and ragged. With an awful jolt of sympathetic pain, Kairin noticed the dragon's gouged haunches and bleeding wings. As gently as she could, Kairin set about healing the dragon's more urgent wounds, knitting skin and scales back together. She was just sealing up the last tatter in her wing when Faeria awoke.

"_Thank you, little one," _Faeria hummed, noticing that she had been healed. She turned her head to inspect her newly flawless wings when she caught sight of Kairin and gave a small roar.

"_Kairin, your arm!" _Kairin looked down to see that it was bleeding profusely where the arrow had struck her; in her panic for Faeria she hadn't noticed her own pain. The shaft had broken off but the arrowhead remained embedded deep in her flesh. Before she could think up a spell to remove it, Faeria brushed her nose against it.

The arrowhead lifted effortlessly and painlessly from her arm as her flesh and skin healed itself; it fell to the ground with a soft noise and Kairin was entirely healed.

"How did you do that?" Kairin asked incredulously. Faeria had never used magic like that before. The dragon seemed unimpressed with her own power.

"_You were hurt. I fixed you," _she said simply.

"Thanks," Kairin replied weakly. Faeria stretched her wings.

"_You've improved your magic greatly."_

"I suppose that's the elf in me,"Kairin replied. She did not know where the comment came from, and her tone was far more poisonous than she had intended. Faeria said nothing, and merely peered at her with eyes fathoms deep. Uncomfortable, Kairin turned away and set her attentions on the unconscious elf.

"She hasn't woken at all?" Kairin asked, reaching down to take the elf's pulse. She felt it beating, soft but persistent.

"_Not even stirred. That's no ordinary sleep." _Kairin allowed her brows to knit together in the frown she had been withholding.

"We can't leave her like this. She's not well, not to mention that without her we may as well wander around the Hadarac until death takes us." She looked up at Faeria. "Better killed by the heat than by the Empire." Faeria found the joke entirely unfunny.

"_No natural element will take me, Kairin, I am a creature of legend."_

"Tales will be told of your great humility," Kairin returned with a smirk. Faeria snapped her jaws in annoyance but Kairin could clearly feel the dragon suppressing a laugh.

"_Joking aside, hatchling, we've got quite a predicament." _Kairin could do nothing but sit in silent agreement. Kairin knew in her heart that all the guards who had seen Faeria take off from the roof had been engulfed in her fire spell – none who saw the dragon had survived. However she knew it was foolish to believe that their daring escape from Gil'ead would go entirely unnoticed. With the amount of damage they had left behind, the king himself would learn of it eventually. They were full-fledged enemies of the Empire now. Whether or not Kairin's identity as a Rider or Faeria's existence was known, they had been far from discreet. Kairin could not hope that Galbatorix would not surmise exactly who had stolen the elf away.

"_You also forget that Durza knows exactly who we are," _Faeria, who had been silently following Kairin's train of thought, chimed in. _"I can think of no reason he wouldn't have told the king of us as soon as he discovered us in the Spine." _She was right. Kairin's stomach sunk further to the ground.

Their only hope lay with the Varden, an organization shrouded in as much mystery as Galbatorix himself, and who's reputation wasn't any cleaner than the mad king's.

"So we've no choice but to resign ourselves to a life of war and disaster," Kairin said, resolute. "Is this really the legacy of the great Riders? Killing men, destroying cities? How _honorable!" _The last word leapt from her throat in a scream and echoed around the trees. Kairin reached to the ground, seized a stone, and threw it with all her might into the darkness. She seized another, and threw that one too. Over and over she threw the stones until a gentle touch around her waist calmed her.

Faeria had wrapped herself around Kairin, humming a low, calming note. Kairin let it fill her ears until the stone in her hand slipped from her limp fingers; she crumpled against the dragon, stifling angry tears.

"_Easy, my love, my Kairin." _Faeria's voice rarely held such tenderness, and Kairin felt the rage in her chest start to dissipate. "_Whatever you are, whatever our fate may be, you will always have me."_

"_As you have me, bjartskular."_

Dragon and girl let their minds come together until they were as one entity, feeling the strength and magic in their bond. It was as if strange, unearthly music rang in their ears as they let their consciousnesses melt together. Kairin's heart ceased to pound, and her breath returned to normal. She marveled at how clearly she felt every inch of Faeria's body in her own, from the periodic sweep of her muscular tail to the discomfort of a pebble stuck under one of her scales.

Suddenly, an idea came upon her. Kairin stood and crossed to Leaire in one swift motion and knelt by her side. Faeria edged in closer, having read Kairin's plan in her thoughts.

Kairin placed a hand on Leaire's forehead and reached out with a tendril of thought, the way she connected with Faeria.

Instantly, she was met with a barrage of steel and ice. Leaire's mind was a cold, hard trap that snapped shut around her, squeezing the life from her, suffocating her. In agony, Kairin screamed with both her mind and her thoughts: "Leaire! Eka aí Kairin, Du Shur'tugal, eka mulabra ono né haina!"

The pain ceased.

Kairin felt a pinprick of thought at the corner of her consciousness.

The pinprick grew into a needle, which grew into a sense of eagerness and apprehension.

"_Kairin?" _Leaire's melodic psyche came into focus, emanating a quick flash of recognition and a subsequent wave of relief.

"_It is you," _the elf-woman's voice echoed in Kairin's head for a moment before vanishing, all contact severed. Kairin opened her eyes just in time to see Leaire begin to stir. She opened her eyes, blinked once, and gasped.

She began to scream.

Kairin tensed and moved slightly towards the frantic Leaire, unsure of what to do, but the ordeal was over in a second. The elf slumped into unconsciousness once more. Too dumbfounded for cautiousness, Kairin once again reached out with her mind and linked it to Leaire's; this time she was met not by an attack, but by an expectant awareness.

"_I'm sorry," _Leaire began, "_But the pain was too great, I had to sink once more into this sleep."_

"_The pain?" _Kairin flashed her feelings of concern to Leaire.

"_My skin, under my shirt," _Leaire replied grimly. Kairin took hold of the woman, and with gentle fingers she unlaced the back of her leather shirt. What lay underneath drew a gasp from Kairin and a deep, concerned rumbling noise from Faeria.

The skin was tattered and ragged – in some places it was completely melted away, showing clearly the elf's muscles underneath. The gruesome sight alone was enough to make Kairin's bile rise, but the thick and pungent smell of decay that rose from her wounds was too much for Kairin to bear. With a muttered word, Kairin pulled on her reserves of magic and tried to heal her. When nothing happened, Kairin rephrased her spell, to the same lack of results.

"_These are unnatural wounds," _Faeria said, her teeth bared and a growl rattling deep in her throat. Kairin did not speak but merely re-laced Leaire's shirt over her mangled skin, at a loss of what else to do. Kairin conveyed her helplessness to Leaire, but was sure not to let the elf spy her own wounds through Kairin's eyes. She did not think the elf needed to see the damage that had overrun her body.

"_They must have tortured me – I have been sleeping since my capture. Now that I know they're there, these wounds do fearsomely draw on my strength." _Leaire was silent for a moment, and Kairin was faintly aware of her quick summation of the facts. "_Listen," _she continued, "_my only hope now lies with the Varden. You have done so much for me, Kairin, you brave girl, and I must ask you and your dragon to once again risk your lives for me. For if I die, things die with me that ought not to be lost." _Kairin was briefly aware of a flurry of images – white sails against a great cloudy sky, a vast ocean, Faeria's pearly egg, steely, elven faces – before Leaire snatched them back and tucked them away out of view.

"_What must we do?" _Kairin felt a grim gratefulness from Leaire, and her mind was once again filled with images, this time deliberate.

"_This is the way to Farthen Dur. The dwarves there are skilled beyond any human healer, almost as skilled as the elves. They can help me."_

Kairin absorbed the directions Leaire was feeding her, hungry and determined for information.

"_Now. These are the things you must know." _Leaire began pouring thoughts into Kairin, clearly in a rush to convey as much as she could in as little time as possible, and the result was chaotic. A barrage of new facts and events swirled about her mind, absorbing into her memory without conscious effort or any kind of absorption on Kairin's part. The ordeal was over in a matter of seconds, but Kairin still felt as if someone had stirred up the contents of her brain with a wooden spoon. Thoughts both familiar and unfamiliar swam around before her mind's eye, making her dizzy. Leaire, knowing what she had done, conveyed a fleeting sense of remorse that was quickly gone.

"_You must leave me now, brave young Rider, for I need to conserve every ounce of my strength." _It was true that Leaire's aura was flickering shockingly; the mental strain of imparting so many thoughts at once had left the elf frighteningly weak. She began to pull away.

"Wait!" Kairin called out. The elf paused, a gossamer strand of thought still connecting them.

"_What have you given me? All this new information you've loaded me with, I can't make sense of any of it." _Kairin was growing panicky once more, completely bewildered over what was occurring in her own mind.

"_I have faith in you, Kairin. All will make sense in time. Remember that Faeria is there to help you. Good luck, Shur'tugal." _Without another word, Leaire was gone and her mental walls were erected once more. Kairin's eyes flitted back and forth, seeing nothing; she was entirely focused on the waves of new images, smells, sounds, and things she could now remember. It was as if she had taken the experiences of a whole new person into her mind, and found that there was only room for one. Colors and shapes flashed unbidden before her mind's eye and were gone too quickly to be recognized. She looked to Faeria, a wordless plea on her face, and attempted to reach out to meld minds with her dragon. With a fresh surge of panic, she found that amidst the madness in her mind, she couldn't locate the link to her partner. She scrambled to her feet and seized Faeria by either side of her long lizard face.

"Faeria, can you hear me? I can't hear you, Faeria, I can't hear you," the words tumbled from her lips. Faeria stared at her with widened, silvery eyes. After a moment, Kairin felt the singularly strange sensation as if a drain had been unclogged near her brainstem. Slow at first, and then gaining speed, Leaire's unfamiliar thoughts swirled smaller and smaller until they had reached a comfortable level, a compact package near the back of her head.

"_Calmer?" _Faeria's voice rang clear through her once again. Kairin embraced the sound.

"_What did you do?"_

"_I closed everything Leaire gave you away." _Sure enough, Kairin attempted to burrow into the package of thoughts and found that they were securely closed to her prying.

"So I have all this information inside of my own head that I can't even access?" Kairin said aloud, rubbing her knuckles across the back of her skull where she felt the unfamiliar shape in her brain. It was a strange sensation, carrying this locked chest that she could feel but was entirely intangible.

"_I am sure that when the need arises, you will be able to glean the information you need." _Faeria replied calmly.

"How can you be sure? How did you do this?" Faeria tossed her head slightly in a dragonish shrug. Just as when she had healed Kairin's arm, Faeria seemed both completely assured and uninterested in her magic use. Kairin traced a wondering finger down her snout.

"I wonder if Eragon's dragon or even Galbatorix's own Shruikan are as singularly amazing as you are." Faeria purred like a pleased kitten.

"_I should think not."_

The pair decided that delaying any longer would be dangerous, but Kairin took one look at Faeria's scaly back and all at once remembered the pain in her legs from flying.

"Not only can I not stand to lose all the skin on my legs," Kairin reasoned, "Leaire certainly can't afford any more injury." Faeria rustled her wings. Kairin realized with a twinge of amusement that the dragon was offended.

"_Well, dragon rider, how do you intend to ride me?" _

At these words, an unfamiliar image flashed into Kairin's head. It was a strange looking object made with several sheets of leather tied together by cords. Kairin instantly knew it to be a dragon's saddle, although she was sure she had never heard of the thing in her life.

"_Something Leaire left you, I suppose," _mused Faeria. It was in fact one of the elf woman's memories.

"How am I supposed to make it?" Kairin said quietly, knowing as soon as she said it that she did not need to ask. The technique was all there, laid out in her mind like a blueprint, as if she had done it many times before.

"_It seems you have the knowledge," _Faeria began.

"But not the materials," Kairin finished. It looked as if the saddle needed a good amount of leather hide, something she did not happen to have in her sparse saddlebags. Going to Gil'ead, or any city for that matter, was entirely too dangerous to even consider. After much thought, Kairin decided that the best alternative would be to use as much of Eriere's old saddle as she could salvage, filling in the spaces with her lost steed's horse blanket. After nearly an hour of cutting and weaving with a good deal of help from Kairin's magic, Faeria stood tall wearing a completely functional if not fashionable saddle.

"_Do I look like an utter fool?" _the dragon asked, her pride not taking to the ramshackle saddle at all.

"You look beautiful and mighty as always, my love," Kairin replied with as much patience as she could muster; she was feeling drained from her magic exertions. With great care she arranged Leaire in the front of the saddle and slid in behind her, fastening Eriere's saddlebags to a spike on Faeria's spine.

"Think you can handle all this weight, Faeria?"

In response, the dragon launched herself from the ground with alarming speed, leaving great gouges in the earth behind her. The desert surface spun away and Kairin felt the exhilaration of flying once more. However it wasn't long before the rhythmic beats of Faeria's wings, the desert heat, and the monotonous landscape below got the better of Kairin's weariness and she slipped into a half sleep.

_She stood on the bough of a great ship. She liked it up front where she could stand at the very edge of the deck and look out over unbroken ocean, pretending she was flying over the waves unsupported by any craft. When the sight of the water flying by below her began to make her stomach turn, she spun around to survey the deck behind her. The ship was great in stature if not size; a pale, wooden vessel carved with intricate patterns all over. There was a figure standing at the wheel, gazing over the great spanse of the ocean ahead of them, but she couldn't make out a face – it was fuzzy and vague. She smiled at the figure, and the figure smiled back._

_She turned around again and bent her little body over the railing of the ship. She could see her face reflected in the water below. It was full of such heartbreaking joy and naivety, it must have been the face of a child. Her angular features and huge almond eyes seemed to glow and buzz in a distinctly inhuman way. Her hair was silky and black as night, save for one streak that shone like burnished silver. She let her eyes caress this lock of hair for an especially long time – she had just grown it in recently and was quite taken with herself. _

_She met her reflected eyes, a sharp and spicy green, and Kairin could see that the girl was her._

With a jolt, Kairin returned to her body. She was still sitting on Faeria's back, clutching Leaire before her, soaring over the great expanse of the Hadarac Desert.

Yet she could almost still taste the salty ocean spray and feel the deck tossing on the waves beneath her feet.

Faeria gathered what had happened from the sudden surge of emotion in Kairin's thoughts, and read the quickly dimming details of Kairin's vision in her memory. Not for the first time, Kairin was incredibly grateful for the quick instincts of her dragon saving her from explaining the impossibilities that went on inside her head. Faeria said only three words:

"_Dream or memory?"_

"_Both," _was all Kairin could reply.


	10. Chapter 13

Gasp! I but up a new chapter! Madness! Anyway, I put a bit from the "Eldest" excerpt in here, so hopefully you've read it.

Review answers!

Kgk: Yes, it took me a while to think up a cliffhanger for this one. I'm proud...

KrazieShadowNinja: Oh, I was all scared that I upset you for a second... lol. Hope you aren't dead yet.

Starfall88: I'm going as quickly as I can!

Dragons4eva: See above.

KatzEye: Yeah, I'm thinking that she'll definitely meet Eragon.

Chapter Thirteen

They moved in between the two enormous mountain's that created the gate to the Beors two sleepless days later. It was a day that Kairin would always remember, staring up at the giant behemoths with wide eyes, like a child's. The day instantly became one of apprehension when Leaire lost consciousness.

It was noon when Faeria dropped from the sky beside Eriere, a dangerously pale Leaire on her back.

"_She told me she needs to speak with you, little one. It seems like she has little time."_

Kairin frantically shifted her gaze to Leaire's colorless face. "What's wrong, Leaire? How are you feeling?"

Leaire took a breath and fixed Kairin with an intense stare.

"Listen. I'm going to lose consciousness soon; I'm going to fall asleep. It's an elven tactic; it numbs most of the pain. I need to show you how to find the Varden. Watch carefully."

Kairin was overcome by a flashing sequence of images. She was riding along the forests of the Beor's range, everything in perfect detail. She memorized the landmarks as she saw them, and it made her feel like she had been there dozens of times before. She sped up, moved at an unnatural speed for a distance, and stopped in front of a huge clearing with a waterfall. There was a flash, and Kairin was back.

"You saw? Good. Now, when you reach the waterfall, you must find a rock, knock it against the waterfall's edge, and shout these words: "_Ai varden abr du shur'tugals gata vanta." _

Leaire widened her eyes and stared intently at Kairin. "Do you understand? You mustn't fail. If you don't..." Leaire trailed off dramatically.

"Well thanks for the support," said Kairin, her voice getting shrill with nerves. Leaire didn't even reply, she only lay forward on Faeria's back and took a long, shaky breath.

"Just be careful, Kairin. I have faith in you. I..." Her eyes slid closed and her body became limp. Kairin quickly looked over her, and was happy to see that she was only unconscious.

"_Take her into the air, Faeria. We must go quickly now, those horrible burns are taking their toll." _

Faeria exhaled sharply through her nose before taking off again. Kairin watched for a split second before spurring Eriere onwards. It was a little difficult trying to navigate the forests, the memory of the trail was slipping away from her the more she thought about it.

Kairin had been riding hard for about an hour when Eriere, tired from climbing a steep hill, refused to move. Kairin was frustrated, but in the back of her mind, she knew that it was time for a break. She slipped gingerly off of Eriere and sat down on the hill beside him, massaging her sore legs. She was fishing in the saddlebag for the water skin when movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention.

A stream of Kull was coming out of the ground about a mile away. In the middle of the pack, there was a young man being dragged between two little Urgals. He had armor and a sword sheath, and looked battle worn. This man had obviously just been in a war.

"_Faeria, land, there are Urgals! Look, down below the hill!"_

Kairin saw a blue streak fall from the sky like a raindrop, and heard Faeria's startled reply in her mind.

"_Is that a captive they have? Who is it?"_

"_It's a man, a warrior. I don't know who he is, but he's unconscious. This isn't good, Faeria, what should we do?"_

"_Leave him. I know it sounds bad, but trust, me, it's the best thing we can do. We must get Leaire to the Varden; we are a day's ride away, if we make haste. There is nothing we can do; we are but a girl a dragon and an entranced elf. If we hurry to the Varden we can tell them of him, they will take care of it."_

"_Yes, I understand. Fly low to the ground until we are out of sight."_

Kairin took a mental picture of the place before mounting Eriere and kicking her heels. They sped on with a renewed vigor.

"_We must hurry... Lives lie in the hands of our speed."_

A/N- and it's over! I promise not to leave you guys hanging so long this time. R&R.


	11. Chapter 14

A/N- Wow, I'm updating! It's madness, I know. I've recently begun reading Eldest, the sequel to Eragon, and it's rekindled the wish to take up my keyboard and continue the story of Kairin and Faeria! Hooray! I hope all of you regular-reviewers will still read my story. I'm very sorry for leaving the story on a cliffhanger like that, too. I'm sure Kairin and Faeria don't appreciate it either. One more thing, since I haven't updated and everything in a long time, I forgot some of the finer points of my own story. I'm going to write this chapter based on what I remember, and when It's up I'll go back and read it to refresh my memory.

A/N 2: The Sequel: I put this up here because in the next chapter I want to get into a lot of Eldest things, and start making my storyline more interesting. This means that one, there will be some Eldest spoilers and two, I have to finish Eldest before I can do that. Also, in my reviews people have been saying that they've not read Eldest yet, so I might have to come up with some chapters that don't have to do with Eldest. Mostly that means that my next chapter won't be up for a little longer then I'd like. It's all very confusing. Leave reviews for comments and suggestions, cause I need them. Thanks.

Chapter Fourteen

Kairin and Faeria didn't dare slow their breakneck pace. Nothing went through Kairin's mind but the need to go faster, to arrive at Farthen Dur sooner. She only stopped when she felt that Eriere was in danger of collapsing. During these brief pauses, she often lay a damp cloth on Leaire's forehead and conversed anxiously with Faeria, who lay sprawled on the ground, resting her weary wings.

"_I can't bear this. Are we close to Farthen Dur, Faeria? Can you see it from the air?"_

"_For the last time, Kairin, we are at least a half a day's flight away from it; we should be there by nightfall if we continue this tiring pace."_

"_We will then. We'll go faster, even."_

"_No, Little One, it would be unwise to strain to go faster when we are close to our destination. It would only make the rest of us as unwell as Leaire. Where would we be then?"_

"_I couldn't bear it if she died, Faeria. It would be my fault. It's because of me that she was captured by Durza."_

"_And it was because of you that she escaped his prison. You would hold no blame if she were to... If we didn't get there in time. Durza would be at fault."_

"_I'm sorry Faeria, But you cant make me change my mind now."_

She stood and walked to Eriere, reaching with her mind. Once she had confirmed that he was rested enough to gallop again, she secured Leaire to Faeria and watched then fly above the trees. Jumping on to Eriere, she spurred him forward and galloped into the forest.

They rode without stopping for the rest of the day. Kairin pestered Faeria through their mental link with her worries until the annoyed dragon blocked her from her mind completely. Kairin was left to worry in the confines of her own mind.

It was the most welcome sound that Kairin could have imagined when the roar of the waterfall reached her ears through the darkness. When Eriere finally broke into the clearing Kairin leapt from the horse and ran as fast as she could to the stone. Faeria landed behind her a second later. Seizing a rock from the lake's shore, she skidded to a halt and thwacked the rock against the waterfall's edge repeatedly.

"_Ai varden abr du shur'tugals gata vanta!" _she shrieked. The dull roar of the waterfall was the only sound in the clearing. It was still. The rock slipped from Kairin's fingers as she turned to Faeria.

"It didn't work..." she breathed. The last syllable had barely left her lips when a loud grating noise sounded from behind the waterfall. Kairin spun around and began to run towards the noise, tripping over her own feet. She scrambled off the ground, ignoring the pain in her knees and sprinted to an opening in the rock that Kairin wouldn't have guessed was there a moment eairlier.

"Faeria! Come here!" Kairin yelled, staring in awe as a short, stout man with a beard peeked from behind the door. "_A dwarf!_" she thought to herself in excitement. Faeria ambled to the door, Eriere not far behind.

"Who are you? Are you from the Varden?" asked the dwarf, not taking his eyes off Faeria.

"My name is Kairin, and this is my dragon, Faeria," she extended her palm, showing the dwarf the shining oval on her palm. "Hasn't Leaire told you of a new Rider?"

The dwarf narrowed his eyes. "We weren't sure if that's what she meant. We must use a kind of code, in case of interception."

Kairin nodded hurriedly, barely taking in a word the dwarf said. She turned to Faeria and took Leaire's limp body from her back. She held her body delicately and tunred back to the dwarf.

"Look, Leaire's hurt. She needs help, and now. Please, can we go in?" Kairin waited with bated breath as the dwarf looked both her and Faeria over. With a short nod, he stood aside and allowed Kairin to scurry past him into the dark tunnels of Farthen Dur.

A/N- Yes, very short but I figured I should get a new chapter up as soon as possible. As soon as I post this, I'm going to start on chapter fifteen, so just hold on! R&R, please.


	12. Chapter 15

A/N- I'm so bad. I left the story to hang twice, and I probably will a third time too. I'm trying to update now, but I barely remember my story, or Eldest. This will mean that a lot of things in this chapter will be inaccurate, as a result of me remembering incorrectly. Oh well, it's my own fault. 

In response to a lot of reviewers, my story is a lot like the actual book Eragon. I've tried to make it different, but a lot of things I was planning to write actually happened in Eldest. So bear with me if it's too similar, or if I'm delayed, alright? Thanks.

Chapter Fifteen

The dwarf ushered Kairin through the tunnel, past statues of animals and people that Kairin had never seen before. Faeria stayed close to Kairin, so that her silver scales brushed her arm with every step.

"_We shouldn't let our guard down. These may be the Varden, but we still don't know everything about them."_

"_I understand."_

They walked for a long while. It took Kairin a time to find her voice.

"We really must hurry. I need to meet with Ajihad immediately, we're in a bad situation. You see, I-"

"Ajihad is dead. He died months ago. His daughter Nasuada rules the Varden now. Her first act as ruler was to send the Varden out of Farthen Dur. They live in Surda now."

His words stunned Kairin. In his short summary all that she had known was obliterated.

"Then where are you bringing me?" she stammered, suddenly suspicious.

"We dwarves are not your enemies. Leaire needs our help, and we shall give it. You however, shall not stay in Farthen Dur, your lady Nasuada needs you." He refused to say any more. At the end of the tunnel was a door flanked by two more dwarves. The first one addressed the guards in their own language and they took Leaire's limp body off of Faeria's back. They carried her through the door, leaving Kairin and Faeria alone with the dwarf. He gestured to another door.

"That way leads out of here. Fly directly to the Burning Plains, near Jiet River. There you shall find your lady, and Shadeslayer." Kairin didn't know who Shadeslayer was, but didn't want to waste time. Weariness already tugged at her eyelids. "You're elf friend Leaire will be safe with us. We will send her after you when she is healed." The dwarf brought his fist to his chest and made a short bow before following the guards through the door. Kairin rushed to the door, and headed into the sunlight. As the door closed behind her, she turned to look and saw that the entrance was completely invisible from the outside.

"_We should make haste, Little One. The dwarf had an air of urgency."_

"_Aye. Fly as fast as possible, Faeria, no time to waste. We are both too exhausted to defend ourselves."_

In the air, Kairin pondered the new situation they were in. Although Kairin never knew Ajihad, she had heard tales from Leaire. This new ruler Nasuada was a total mystery. She seemed very bold, making such an obvious act against Galbatorix. The move to Surda was a threat, no doubt.

"_Leaire never told us of someone named Shadeslayer."_

"_Perhaps he is a noble? We shall soon see. Our position is-!" _Kairin broke off as she saw what lay on the earth ahead of them.

A great battlefield covered in bodies and ruin stretched for miles below. Pillars of smoke billowed off of smoldering piles of debris. Every so often pillars of flame would leap from the ground, charring the corpses around them. On the Jiet River, a massive battleship was run aground. It was a tragic sight.

A cry from the ground pulled Kairin's attention away from the plains. Sentries posted around a large circle of tents had spotted them. Kairin reached out with her mind, but it was too late; a volley of arrows rained upon them. Kairin and Faeria were too weak to avoid them. Shafts punctured Faeria's silvery wings and she let out a roar of pain. Kairin was hit in her right shoulder and thigh, and she bit back a scream as she pulled them out.

"Stop!" But they were too far away. Another shower of arrows flew at them, and they left more wounds in Faeria's thin wings, despite her attempt at evasion. They began to drop to the ground as the last of Faeria's strength left her. Kairin began to lose consciousness, but before she did she felt a mind much more powerful than her own touch hers. It radiated power and authority, and before she slipped away, she heard a voice in her mind say, _"Shur'tugal."_


	13. Chapter 16

Review Answers:

Emerald Tiara – Yeah, I know. Hopefully it doesn't throw you off too much, but I needed to change the time real fast. I couldn't go on with the story otherwise. I'll try to make it work out... Just imagine that it took Kairin months to get through to Farthen Dur.

Maddy Midnight- I figured I should get a chapter up as soon as possible, not make it long.

Chapter Sixteen

Kairin was alone when she awoke. Frightened, she snapped upright to survey her surroundings and immediately fell back down to the bedding. Her entire body ached. Gingerly, she brushed her shoulder where it had been wounded by the arrow. The skin was completely smooth, and her thigh was the same way. Cautiously, she sat up again.

She was in a canvas tent, lying on a large pile of bedding in the corner. There was a table that held a basin for washing and a small oil lamp, which was lit. Chairs were scattered around the tent flap. Faeria's saddle and bags were piled neatly near the door.

"_We fell! We fell when those arrows hit us. Is Faeria alright? Is she broken?" _Kairin took down the barriers around her mind and reached out around her with her thoughts. An eager voice sounded in her head soon after.

"_Kairin? How do you feel? You've been out since yesterday."_

"_Fine. I feel fine. Where are you?"_

"_Outside. I was _ordered_ to let you rest."_ She spoke bitterly. Faeria took orders from no one.

"_Who possibly dared to order you to do anything?" _Kairin asked, feeling confused and annoyed. "Humans... They don't understand." Kairin muttered, surprising herself.

"He_ did, Shadeslayer. Eragon Shadeslayer."_

"_Eragon!"_

Kairin severed the connection. She felt the presence that had spoken to her yesterday. She began to fortify her mind again, and while she did it entered her thoughts. Trying not to be distracted, Kairin strengthened her defenses. The presence didn't pry, however. A moment passed, and Kairin relaxed again before a young man swept into her tent.

He was tall and strongly built, but seemed to glide with an elfish grace when he walked. Judging by the way Leaire looked; the man seemed rougher than an elf. The delicate arch in his eyebrows and pale skin didn't seem human. There was only one person that Kairin thought this could be.

"Shur'tugal." He addressed her in the ancient language.

"Eragon Shadeslayer." She replied, inclining her head. Eragon's brow furrowed.

"You know me?" He spoke again in the ancient language.

"You are neither human nor elf, as am I. I can feel the magic in you. You could only be Eragon," she replied politely in the same language.

"Perceptive. Why don't you tell me who you are, young rider?"

"My name is Kairin. I offer you no harm. I wish to help your cause."

As she said this another person entered, a woman with dark skin. She held her head high. At her waist was a finely wrought sword. Her skin and affluence betrayed her as Nasuada, Ajihad's daughter and leader of the Varden.

"Lady Nasuada," breathed Kairin in Alagaesian, bowing her head.

"Have you been reading my thoughts, young rider?" Her tone was brisk.

"I have not. I've heard much of your father."

"I see. Now, young Rider, you must explain yourself."

For the first time, Kairin recounted what had happened since her discovery of Faeria's egg in the spine. She left out no detail, finishing with her arrival at Farthen Dur and Leaire in the hands of the dwarves. Both Eragon and Nasuada stood in silent thought when she finished her story.

"This doesn't add up," said Eragon quietly, sinking into a chair. He began to massage his temples, obviously deep in thought. "Murtagh told me that the last egg was a male, and besides it couldn't have grown so quickly."

"Tell me Kairin," said Nasuada, delicately sitting in another chair and resting her head on her folded hands, "Does Galbatorix know of your existence?"

"I killed all soldiers who saw me in Gil'ead. Few men pursued me. They never caught up with me and they were traveling without supplies. They didn't have enough food to return to Gil'ead. However, there was one who knew... Durza." She spat out his name like a curse, loathing it.

"Durza has been killed. That is how Eragon got his name: Shadeslayer. We must hope that he did not report you back to Galbatorix."

"I would have seen notice boards with my likeness, or we would have heard something of Galbatorix's efforts to find me, a neutral rider. I don't think he knows." Eragon shook his head.

"But how? How does another rider exist when Galbatorix has the last egg in Alagaesia?"

Slowly, a smile grew on Nasuada's face.

"We must ask your elf friend when she is recovered. But, it is reason to rejoice! The element of surprise is a very good strength against Galbatorix, the only one we may have right now. So Kairin, will you help us against the corrupt king and pledge yourself to me?"

Faeria, who had been listening the entire time, chimed in.

"_Kairin... Think before you do this."_

"_I wish Leaire was here."_

"_We need to begin making our own choices, Kairin! Do you want to swear yourself to the Varden forever? This means no going back."_

"_We know the Varden is the only way."_

"_What if Nasuada commands you to do something that would harm the Varden? We know nothing of her leadership skills."_

"_We will find a way," _Stated Kairin, severing the connection and ending the conversation. Nasuada and Eragon had stood in silence as she conversed with Faeria, but Kairin could see that nervousness was eating inside Nasuada. She wrung the fabric of her tunic in her hands so that the cloth was nearly fraying. With a solemn look Kairin stood and knelt in front of Nasuada. In the ancient language, she swore featly to her and her efforts against the Empire. When she stood a smile was upon her two companion's faces.

"We have indeed found blessing in you, Kairin," said Nasuada warmly. "If you are feeling better you may explore the Varden camp. Keep your mind open; Eragon will call you if I need your assistance." She inclined her head politely and excused herself, Eragon following behind.

After Kairin dressed and washed herself, she walked outside onto the plains. The air was humid and heavy, and it stung her nostrils with the scent of smoke. Kairin couldn't imagine spending over a day there. Tents were erected in no kind of order all around her, and busy people bustled through the campsite, looking weary. It was surely a camp of war.

A bright flash of silver alerted Kairin to Faeria's arrival. The dragon scurried towards her as fast as her reptilian legs would allow and brushed Kairin's forehead with her rough, scaled nose. Behind her stood Eragon and a brilliant blue dragon that was noticeably larger than Faeria.

"_We made it, Little One."_

"_Aye, that we did. But how did we not die from such a fall?"_

"_Saphira caught you and I was able to slow myself enough to avoid injury. Eragon healed both our wounds. The sentries that fired upon us apologized to me profusely, but I can tell it wasn't their choice. They were as shaky as rabbits."_

Kairin approached Saphira and bowed deeply.

"Well met, Saphira Bjartskular. I offer my deep gratitude to you for saving me from my fall." Saphira addressed her directly.

"_Well met indeed, Kairin. I am glad to have helped one of Eragon's fellows."_ Her voice was smooth and beautiful; it reminded Kairin of a great river.

"Tell me if you will Saphira, your adventure with Eragon?"

Saphira rustled her magnificent scales and took a shuddering breath. She surveyed Kairin with once brilliant blue eye and settled herself.

"_I will only if you do me the same honor, Shur-tugal."_

With a smile, Kairin leaned against Faeria's flank and retold her story again, this time with the occasional input from her dragon. Saphira was a good listener. She sat still and concentrated, and Kairin could feel her emotions change in perfect time with her story. Kairin soon discovered that she much preferred the company of these dragons than the Lord and his Lady.

When she was finished, Saphira began her tale. It was thrilling, filled with companionship, adventure, and daring; much more than Kairin could imagine for herself. She was also shocked that the stories, though different, shared many of the same events.

"_Surely," _Faeria commented, _"our destinies are intertwined." _

When they had finished the sun was beginning to sink in the sky. Saphira and Faeria were restless from sitting, so they decided to fly.

In the air, Faeria told Kairin of her worries.

"_I'm not a hatchling, Kairin. I don't want to be tethered!" _ She said it with such emotion that a growl escaped her scaly lips. _"We know nothing of these Varden. We don't know what they expect of us. I won't pretend that your fealty doesn't worry me, Kairin."_

"_Faeria, you haven't sworn anything! You're free to do as you will. I do believe that this was a necessary step."_

"_I cannot leave without you, oath or not. A dragon without its Rider is only half a soul. We are one being, Kairin."_

Faeria's words struck her. "One being..." High in the sky, Kairin for the first time understood. They were not Dragon and Human. They weren't even Dragon and Elf. They were Rider. One being. One soul.

Faeria did not disturb Kairin again, but as she thought she felt someone pry into her musings. Annoyed, she compressed her mind around it, suffocating it. With some difficulty, however, it grew red hot with anger and broke free.

"_Do not hinder me! You could have killed me." _It was Eragon.

"_What do you want, O Fearless Shadeslayer?" _Kairin surprised herself with the venom in her voice. Suddenly she found that she thought Eragon was not welcome in her mind.

He replied with stony politeness. _"A meeting in Lady Nasuada's tent has begun. Please join us, Rider." _ He pulled away abruptly.

"Faeria, Eragon wants us on the ground," Kairin said aloud, tonelessly. The Dragon gave a small nod and swung left, swooping downwards into the camp. They landed smoothly, and Kairin slipped off her back and quickly located the tent that had to be Nasuada's. It was ordinary linen, but dyed a deep, royal purple with trim of dyed yellow lace. Kairin walked in and was slightly embarrassed to see that the meeting was already in session. Hurriedly, she smoothed her windswept hair and straightened her tunic.

A group of people were seated around a long, wooden table. Most of them looked up at Kairin as she entered. Each had a striking appearance.

First, Kairin noticed Nasuada at the head of the table, her hands folded in a graceful manner. Eragon was at her left side. A man with a regal helmet and a stately expression sat at her right. Seated beside him was a young looking woman with long, abundant curls and gazed up at Kairin with a half-smile. Beside Eragon was an empty chair, which Kairin assumed was hers. Next to the helmed man was a troubled looking youth with shaggy brown hair and a scruffy beard. His tunic was old and worn, and on his shoulder, shining slightly in the lamplight was a ferocious scar. He gave Kairin a short, uninterested look before returning his gaze to his clenched fists on the table. Across from him was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She sat in her chair with a balance of relaxation and posture, bright green eyes inspecting Kairin, her face unreadable. Kairin noticed pointed ears under a sheet of silky black hair.

There was one who was not seated at the table; a girl who looked to be around the age of eight years old leaned against the tent wall, wearing a hooded black cloak. As she looked up at Kairin, her eyes shone out from the shadow of her hood.

The girl's face was of a normal child. But her eyes, they were a violet color and shone with an awful intelligence. On her forehead there was a marking identical to Kairin's gedway ignasia. The corners of the girl's mouth twitched in a wicked smile, sending shivers down her spine.

"Kairin? Kairin." Nasuada's voice pulled Kairin's attention away from her awful eyes.

"Y-yes? I'm sorry." Slightly embarrassed, Kairin sat in the empty chair before inspecting the others gathered around the table.

"Yes. Now that our Rider has joined us, the meeting shall begin." There were excited titters from the people around the table. Kairin guessed they hadn't been informed yet.

"That's right, people of the Varden. Another Rider has emerged from Alagaesia, and sworn herself to our efforts. With this, we _will _make a move against the empire, Galbatorix_ will _be removed from the throne, and peace and harmony _will. Be. Restored."_

A/N: Ohhh, so sorry. Another long delay... I'm just getting over writer's block. I'm going to start another chapter right now, okay! R&R.


	14. Chapter 17

A/N- Well, a lot of previous reviews mentioned that this story was too close to Eragon. So I decided to do something to Kairin to make her unlike Eragon, but... In the second book, Eldest, Mr. Paolini happened to write pretty much exactly what I had in mind. I can't continue on the story very well without it now, so please just overlook it's extreme similarity to the actual Inheritance books.

**Chapter Seventeen**

Her words brought a smile to Kairin's lips. A surge of reassurance rushed though her.

"Introductions then, shall we?" Nasuada said with a smile. She gestured to the stately man with the helmet.

"This is Jormunder. He is my right-hand man." He bowed his head to Kairin. Next was the woman with the curls.

"This is Angela. She is an herbalist, but also a witch. She is very valuable to the Varden." Angela smiled at her and reached across the table to shake her hand. Nasuada inclined her head to the young man.

"This is Roran, Eragon's cousin. He was threatened by the Empire in his hometown, and traveled here from Caravahall with the entire city in tow. He is a skilled warrior." Roran made no inclination to whether he had heard her or not, and continued to stare at his clenched fists. The elf lady introduced herself.

"My name is Arya." She spoke with a beautiful, graceful voice. As she inclined her head to Kairin as a greeting, she got a snatch of the scent of pine. "I am a long elf-friend of the Varden. I was the protector of Saphira's egg for seventy years." Kairin contained her surprise. Seventy years! Elves surely were immortal.

Nasuada also introduced various people of power in The Varden, and King Orrin, the ruler of Surda. He had shoulder-length brown hair and an angular face with a jovial expression. He gave Kairin a firm handshake when introduced. Another interesting character was a dwarf wearing a beautifully crafted helm with a carving of a hammer. Nasuada introduced him as Orik, representative of the dwarves.

"Now to the issue, my friends. Eragon informs us that Galbatorix has hatched and egg; a male dragon, red in color. We have no idea what powers he possesses, but we have witnesses some of the fearsome magic he can produce." As she said this, Orik clapped his right first to his chest and bowed his head.

"Eragon's tutelage is not yet complete. He could not compete with this Rider. We suspect that Galbatorix has taught him dark magic."

Kairin cast a sidelong glance at Eragon. He bowed his head and clenched his eyes shut, an image of defeat.

"Eragon did not discover the identity of this Rider. Is that correct, Eragon?" Eragon was silent. Kairin felt him tense up beside her.

"I-I don't... I don't know..."

Nasuada nodded and continued to inform the rest of the Rider, but Kairin was distracted. She turned her head fully to stare at him. We wrung his hands in his lap, and his eyes darted around. Sensing her gaze, he met Kairin's eyes and quickly looked down.

"...Largest threat to us. It is a grim situation." Nasuada finished. There was a moment of silence, and Roran stood.

"Lady, it has been a week since we arrived. I appreciate your welcoming attitude towards Caravahall, but the purpose I came here was to enlist Eragon's aid. If you will please let him accompany me..."

"Roran, we have discussed this. Eragon's presence here is crucial. We cannot let you take him on a potentially life-risking mission at this, the time war! Please, be patient with me." Before she had finished, Roran slammed his fist on the table.

"That's not good enough!" he roared. Silence fell in the tent. Nasuada calmly met Roran's furious stare.

"Control yourself, Roran Stronghammer. You will get your time." Roran sat back down, fuming. Suddenly, the violet-eyed girl spoke.

"You are worried for her? Be at ease, Roran. She is unharmed. She knows you are doing everything in your power to save her, Roran. Please, be patient. She will survive for you. You will be together once more." As she spoke, Kairin gasped. Her voice, like her eyes, was the horrible, intelligent voice of an adult. It made the hair on her arms prickle. Roran too, seemed to be effected. He closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. He buried his face in his hands.

Kairin met the girl's stare once again, and held it. Something about this girl was unnatural.

"Trianna, if you would," Nasuada said, sitting back down with a nod to a woman in a long, flowing robe. A golden snake circlet glittered from her hair.

"Thank you, my Lady. Profits from our bobbin lace are blossoming. Soon we will have enough to forge new armor and weapons for the infantry, as you wished, Lady. If you could spare more magicians who do not belong to Du Vrangr Gata, we could more easily fill the growing demand for our cheap lace."

"I will see what I can do, Trianna. Be seated." With a bow of her head, the woman retook her seat.

"Now, Kairin," Nasuada began. Kairin pulled her gaze away from the girl's purplish eyes. "What would you like to do for us now? We have training grounds set up if you would like to practice your skills. We need you as strong as Eragon." Kairin involuntarily clenched her fist. _"...'As strong as'?"_

"I am out of practice. I will retrieve my sword from my tent and join your men on the training ground."

"Good. Eragon?" Eragon looked up. "Accompany Kairin to the grounds. Spar with her if you will. Dismissed."

Holding back a sigh, Kairin rose from her seat.

"I will meet you at the grounds," Eragon said briskly and swept from the tent. Kairin rolled her eyes and started to leave herself, but was met at the tent flap by the girl.

"My name is Elva," she said in her horrible voice. "You feel the magic in me?"

"...I... Do. I do, yes." Kairin stuttered.

"I can feel strong power in you as well, Kairin. You will succeed here in the Varden. Everyone will know you to be as skilled as any Rider." Her words struck exactly what had been troubling her. Somehow, they soothed all her worried nerves.

"What are you?" Kairin breathed, forgetting all manners.

"I am, as I have said before, what Eragon made me." She removed her hood so that the shining mark on her brow was more prominent. "He and Saphira marked me with his magic as an infant. That is why I am as I am." Kairin was confused. She wanted to know more, but the girl had already put her hood up and walked from the tent, following Nasuada.

Faeria was outside, waiting for her.

"_They want you to be nothing but a figurehead, Kairin! They want to create a warrior out of you and use you to rally troops to the Varden."_

"_Enough! The only thing I can do for them right now is be as strong as their enemies. If I die in battle, future generations of your kin are lost. Will you accompany me?"_

The dragon snorted, engulfing Kairin in a puff of smoke. It took Kairin a few minutes to locate her tent in the mass of linen that was the camp. By the time she had buckled her sword to her belt and hurried to the training grounds, darkness was beginning to fall. Eragon was stretching on the ground, in such strenuous poses that Kairin was impressed by his flexibility. She hurried up beside him.

"Pardon, Shadeslayer, I got lost." He straightened, stretched his arms above his head in a last pose, and took a deep breath.

"Not a problem. If you are ready, protect your sword with magic and we will begin."

Kairin, eager to start, drew and spelled her sword before she had caught her breath. This turned out to be a mistake, for he disarmed her within three minutes.

"Good, very good." he said. Kairin had a suspicion he was patronizing her.

The second spar was slightly better, but within five minutes Eragon had the point of his sword resting on her collarbone. Annoyed, she beat the sword away with her own and took a beginning stance again.

The circled each other, both waiting for the other to strike. Eragon feinted to her left and spun over to the right, slashing diagonally towards her. Kairin bent her body to the side and took a step with her left foot, beating his sword away. They resumed circling, sizing each other up again. Kairin struck suddenly with a butterfly stroke, which Eragon blocked on both sides with some difficulty. Kairin tried to take advantage of his moment of weakness with a slice to his sword arm, but Eragon locked blades with her, twisted the sword and threw the sword into the air, so that she was exposed. Eragon quickly thrust his sword towards her stomach, and Kairin had just enough time to beat the sword off with an upwards sweep. They backed off again, circled twice, and leapt towards each other, swords flashing.

Kairin couldn't have known who was attacking who if she tried. Neither of them noticed how the other fighters had ceased their own battles to watch the two Riders compete. Suddenly, Kairin lost concentration and she was quickly turned to the defense, backing away from Eragon, whose ordinary steel sword was a blur of metal in front of her. Trying desperately to get back on the offensive, she sped up her movements, so that her upper arm began to ache. Eragon took a step back, and Kairin moved forward. With a complicated maneuver, the other Rider took several steps forward and Kairin began to struggle to protect herself. She pushed forwards again and they met blades in the air, pushing against each other, competing with brute strength alone. Eragon began to push the locked blades towards her, weakening her. Kairin pushed with all her might, her face screwed up in concentration. Harder and harder she pushed, and began to gain on him. Her arms ached with weariness, and her head began to pound, but she wouldn't give up. She gave one last burst of strength, and something inside her burst.

The blades slid off each other, and Eragon stumbled towards Kairin. But Kairin was no longer paying attention to the battle. She sunk to her knees. Something inside of her was not the same. The magic that had once been locked away in a corner of her mind now flooded through her, growing in power and quantity. She shook as if with a fever. She collapsed on the ground, vaguely aware of Eragon bending over her, cradling her in his arms, shouting at the people around them; scarcely noticing the rhythmic bursts of air, or the clattering of claws beside her that announced Faeria's arrival. Her entire body felt the magic coursing through her, tingling with its power. She broke out in a cold sweat, shivering. She looked up at the sky, seeing Eragon's face, contorted with fear, speaking in a hurried that Kairin could not understand, and Faeria leaning over her with concern. Her eyes closed slowly, and her mind went blank.

A/N – Whoo! I finished a chapter real quick, right! Yesss. R&R?


	15. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

When Kairin woke it was pitch dark.

Pitch dark?

It didn't seem very dark at all.

No, on second though, it had to still be evening. It was still bright enough to see clearly.

Kairin sat up, a little faster than she meant to. She was in her tent. Some hair fell across her face, and she reached up to sweep it back, expecting to feel her rough, wavy brown hair. But the strands that were on her face felt much silkier. She swept the sheet off of her and stood up, shocking herself with her speed. She rushed over to the table with the basin and lamp.

She lit the lamp, although she scarcely needed it, and poured water into the basin. She took a deep breath and peered over the side of the bowl to stare at her reflection. What she saw shocked her. Her entire face was changed completely. No, not completely; she still saw the old Kairin inside this new face.

Her old, rounded face was replaced with one much more angular. Her skin, once rough and weather worn, was now smooth and tanned. Her old brown, frizzy hair was replaced with a head of gentle, wavy hair. It was a dark, deep black except for a single streak of silver that shone as if it was polished. She looked down at herself, and noticed that her body had changed too. She was taller, thinner, and more graceful. Her legs and arms were long and slender, as well as her fingers and bare toes. Suddenly, Leaire's words came back to her.

"_This spell, it... It made you a human, except for the fact that you were an elf..._ _Yes, that's why, but the spell is wearing out as it seems... Yes, of course, but it will take a large amount of energy..."_

"I broke it... on my own?" Kairin was shocked. "I didn't know I was that strong..." she said to herself. Kairin walked outside into the darkness, and was surprised to see that Eragon was there, sitting in a wooden chair just outside the tent flap with his face in his hands. When she came out, he quickly stood.

"Kairin... Are you..." He stuttered to a halt and stared at her for a moment, apparently shocked. "Kairin? Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me... I..."

"_We're both as nervous as mice. What is wrong with him?"_

Eragon stared at the ground. "I apologize. I shouldn't have pushed you too hard. It was your first day back after your flight through the Beors, I was foolish. Please-"

"Stop. That isn't necessary. Did Nasuada order you to do this?"

"No," he replied. Kairin was mildly surprised.

"I thank you for your concern but I'm fine," she said stiffly, harder than she meant to. Eragon looked up and their eyes met.

"I thought you'd... I thought might have been like me," he said. The last part he scarcely whispered, but Kairin heard him perfectly anyway with her enhanced hearing.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't of come here." He turned to leave and took several steps before Kairin's curiosity got the better of her.

"Eragon?" He turned. "What do you mean? 'Like you'?"

They both stood, facing each other in silence. Slowly, Eragon raised his hand back to the base of his neck and absentmindedly felt his skin.

"I used to be... Crippled, so to say."

"Crippled! You?" _Saphira never told me that, _Kairin thought.

"Aye," he said without thinking, and stopped himself. "I mean, _yes._" He seemed ashamed of it. Kairin didn't understand.

"You don't have to talk about it. It's fine." Another moment of silence followed. Unexpectedly, Eragon smiled at her.

"Tell you what. I tell my story if you tell me of yours." Kairin returned the grin.

"Deal."

A/N – Very short chapter I know, but I don't really know how to continue it. So I'm just going to start a new one.

But hey, three updates in two days.

Pretty sweet, huh?


	16. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

Kairin sipped her still steaming tea, enjoying the fact that she could swallow the boiling liquid without scalding herself. She was sitting upright in her bed, and Eragon was in one of the wooden chairs, telling her all about the Agaeti Blodhren, or the Blood Oath Celebration.

"There were some elves there that could have passed for wildcats, wolves... Some even took the likeness of Dragons! All the while they sang this music... Something about the tune exhilarated me. Oromis told me that it was because I was human; the magic in it had a higher effect on me."

"Who's Oromis?" Kairin asked. Eragon stopped for a moment.

"He was... Just a friend of mine." He said. It wasn't a satisfactory answer, but she decided that some things about the elves – her kin! – had to be kept a secret.

"So, Kairin-vodhr," Eragon began, using the formalelf-name for her.Hesatback and took a drink of his own tea. "You know nothing of your parents?"

"Only what Leaire told me, and she knew very little at that. Apparently my mother raised me in The Spine."

"The Spine? I lived there! You must have lived deep inside, because I often hunted there." Kairin reached deep into her memories, trying to remember if she had ever seen a solitary hunter roaming The Spine. For a moment, she was back in her tiny house with the stones on the shelves, and feathers hanging from the ceiling. The memory brought a smile to her lips. Another memory soon overpowered the rest.

Kairin was sitting on the dirty wooden floor, gazing up at a beautiful woman sitting in the bed sewing a tunic out of deerskin, singing a strange, familiar melody.

Kairin sat up in her bed. She didn't recognize this memory. It seemed so familiar, but somehow it was completely new to her. She tried to keep it in her mind, but the more the tried to smooth out the details the more the memory slipped away. Perplexed, she clapped a hand to her forehead.

"Is something wrong?" Eragon asked, getting ready to stand up.

"No... I just... I think I may have hallucinated." Quickly she established a bond with Faeria.

"_Did you see that?"_

"_Kairin! When you fainted, I lost connection with you, I was worried. I thought you might have died."_

"_I'm fine, I'm fine. But did you see that?"_

"_Something flashed across my mind, yes."_

"_What was it?"_

"_I do not know, Kairin, and if I did I wouldn't tell you. You need to find this out by yourself." _She broke the connection.

"Kairin... Are you talking to Faeria?"

"I was. Maybe I'm still a little ill..."

"I'll leave you to rest then. I'll see you later, Kairin." He got up, bowed slightly and excused himself. Kairin could see from the snatch of sky she caught sight of through the tent flap that the sun was raising. She settled back down into her bed and soon fell into a trancelike state.

_Kairin, a little girl of six, was being rocked in her mother's arms. The woman spoke words to her, but Kairin couldn't understand. The pair got up, linked arms, and walked into the forest, singing and laughing together. They walked for quite awhile until they reached a clearing with a large rock in it. Kairin climbed up the rock and sat down, swinging her legs. Her mother kneeled before her. She could see that the woman had tears in her eyes. She stroked the little girl's black curls, and ran a finger over the streak of silver, identical to the one in the woman's own hair. The woman stood and laid her hands on Kairin's head, crying harder than ever. She laid a kiss on her daughter's forehead, swallowed her tears and spoke a few words aloud. Light seeped from the mother's hands, engulfing the child. Kairin's memory went blank._

"Faeria!" Kairin woke from her dream state with a flash, leapt from the bed, and ran out into the tent yard. It was late morning. Faeria lay curled up in front of the tent. Kairin ran over to her and picked up her snakelike head in both hands.

"Wake up, Faeria! I saw my mother! I remembered her!" The dragon opened one silver eye, then the other. With a great rustling of scales, she rose, stretched her wings, and gave a great, dragonish yawn that sounded like a trumpet.

"_You did what, Little One?"_

"_My mother, I dreamt her. It was real! It's only a memory, but I know it's real."_

"_What do you plan to do?"_

"_I... I don't know. There's nothing I can do, not until I have seen more."_

Faeria and Kairin decided to walk through the entire camp that day. People of the Varden couldn't seem to keep from staring at the two of them as they walked past. Some even walked quickly in the opposite direction, badly disguising their fear. Kairin understood that this was the life for her now, but it tired her.

"_You do know I would rather have you than the acceptance of all these people?"_

"_I know."_

They came across a man leaning into the gaping mouth of a well. He tugged on the rope only to pull up a bucket that was smashed into splinters.

"Damn irresponsible, no-good..." He was muttering to himself. Kairin noticed a jar near his feet that was bone dry.

"Sir..." she approached him. He turned around and stumbled backwards when he caught sight of Faeria.

"Sir, can I help you with your water?"

"I don't need any help from you!" he cried before she had finished speaking. "I can manage, thank you. Move along, eh?"

Kairin ignored his stubbornness. She strode over to the well and with a few words of the ancient language cobbled together; her gedway ignasia began to glow. From the depths of the well, a sphere of water rose out and settled in Kairin's hand. Amazed by the renewed strength for magic she had since her spell was broken, she whispered more words to the water, and it morphed into a thin stream that wound itself into the man's jar. He stood looking at his water, amazed.

"There. Now, if you still wish to refuse my help feel free to pour your water back into the well and find another way. Have a good day, sir." She walked away without another word.

"_These people are pathetic. They'd rather try to pull water out of a well with a bottomless bucket than accept help from someone who's different from them."_

"_Easy, Little One, keep your temper."_

"_Pah."_

They began to loop back towards their tent, Kairin still fuming about the man at the well. They had nearly reached their own when they heard raised voices coming from a tent nearby.

"How dare you! How dare you just push me aside like that!"

"Control yourself. I'm _bound_ to Nasuada, I'm _bound_ to this! You don't understand!"

"I don't understand! Ha! You're nothing but a coward, Eragon, that's what I understand."

"Don't you say that. You have no idea, Roran. You have no idea what I did, _for you."_

"For me? You did this... _for me? _Don't fool yourself, Eragon. This was all about you. Our homeland lies burned and destroyed because of this. People _died. _You have one chance to help me, and you refuse it! That doesn't sound like you're doing this out of love for _me._"

"Roran... You cannot begin to comprehend what I have gone through so stop pretending that you do! Garrow's death was my fault. Yes, that's true. Caravahall's destruction wouldn't have happened if not for me, I know. But if I could have done anything... _anything_, I would have done it."

"This isn't the issue. _She _is the issue."

"Roran... I can't. I swear to you if this oath did not bind me I would be by your side."

"You have ways around the oath, do you not?"

"...I would prefer not to use them until the need it extremely dire."

"The need is dire!"

"Roran, I'm sorry."

Kairin heard Roran swear loudly, a thudding noise, and stomping footsteps. Hurriedly, Kairin turned around, trying to make it seem like she couldn't hear the shouting. Roran burst from the tent and paused, glaring. Kairin stole a quick glance at them and their eyes met for a minute. Kairin could see that he didn't look as angry as he looked heartbroken, truly, truly sad. After a moment he turned on his heel and strode off. There was silence inside the tent.

"_Not eavesdropping, are you, hatchlings?" _An amused voice popped into Kairin's head.

"_Saphira! I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself."_

"_I understand shur'tugal."_ The great dragon came into view from around a corner, her scaly lips pulled into a half-smile.

"_Do they often fight so, Saphira?" _Faeria asked, projecting her thoughts so that all three could hear.

"Faeria! Manners." Kairin said aloud.

"_It's all right, Kairin. But I won't answer that question; Eragon needs to tell his own secrets, no?" _She winked at the two of them and pushed her way into the tent, which was bug enough to house the both of them.

"_Come on, nosyscales. Let's go back to our tent."_

Their tent was on the very edge of camp, where the tents were more scattered. This was so Faeria could sleep more comfortably. The area seemed to be abandoned when they drew near, and Kairin summoned a handful of silver flame to light the way through the thickening darkness. Kairin was just opening her tent flap when she heard a faint noise.

Following her sensitive ears, she searched out the noise. It sounded sort of like heavy breathing. She passed a couple of abandoned tents before she came upon a figure sitting on a crate, slouched over. When Kairin came across the corner with the light, the figure looked up at her. It was Roran.

His face was streaked with tears, and his eyes were red. Shocked, Kairin was frozen for a moment. She took a few steps backward.

"Oh, I'm... I'm so sorry, I thought someone was..."

"Its fine," he said tonelessly, standing up and starting to walk past her.

"I'm sorry, Roran," she said, really meaning it, although she didn't know why. He wiped his eye with the heel of his hand and turned his lips up, in a fake smile.

"It's fine. Really," he sighed, and walked off again, disappearing into the dark. Kairin and Faeria stood silently for a moment.

"_He doesn't seem like the emotional type, did he?"_

"_What's wrong with him?"_

Kairin and Faeria's conversation was cut short by the sound of hurried footsteps behind them. The pair turned around to see a familiar, short, cloaked figure shuffling towards them, breathing heavily. She drew near, saw that they were alone, and sighed, pulling her hood down to expose her violet eyes.

"You got to him before I could," she said, sounding exasperated.

"Excuse me?"

"Roran. He was in a lot of pain. I needed to help him."

"I think he wants to be left alone."

"It's not for me to decide."

"What?" Elva looked up at her, piercing her with her stare.

"I am what Eragon made me. When I see someone in distress, I need to help them. Resisting causes me terrible pain."

"How could he have done something like that to you?" Kairin was amazed. Eragon had done this to a person, and so carelessly? She was overcome with unexpected anger. Elva, however, gave a malicious smile.

"He intended to bless me. He used a spell too powerful before he knew what he was doing. You can see what happened." The girl suddenly seized up, bent over and retched onto the ground Kairin was overwhelmed with pity.

"Couldn't he do something? Couldn't he reverse it?"

"He intends to. Eventually. He swears he won't do anymore careless magic." Kairin was hardly listening. She was still burning with anger.

"_What a foolish boy he must be. He must know nothing! How empty-headed of him."_

Before falling into her dream state, Kairin overlooked all of the new things she had learned today. It felt like she was in some sort of show, like the traveling merchants sometimes put on for Caravahall back home.

"_So, Faeria. You still think the Varden is a waste of time?"_

A/N- Alright then. Pretty long chapter. I have plans for future adventures for Kairin, but I still need a way for those to come about, so forgive any slight delays.

Slight.

For real this time.

Not like 497693 months like last time.


	17. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

Kairin lay awake, staring at the blank canvas ceiling of her tent. She mulled over the new information that Elva had given her last night, with much persuasion.

Roran lived in Caravahall with Eragon and his father, Garrow. When Eragon left home to take follow his uncle's killers, Empire soldiers repeatedly attacked the city. Roran fought bravely and saved Caravahall many times, but when hope was lost they decided to flee. Before they had made it out, however, one of the citizens betrayed them and took his daughter Katrina, Roran's love, into the hands of the "Ra'Zac," odd creatures that worked for Galbatorix. Roran knew where they kept Katrina, in Helgrind, a tower off of Dras-Leona. He wanted to enlist Eragon's aid to rescue her. Eragon, however, was ordered to stay by Nasuada. Eragon was bound by this order with magic.

Kairin knew it wasn't fair. She just didn't know what she wanted to do about it. Abandoning her hopes for sleep, Kairin threw the sheet off of her, got out of bed, and dressed in a new tunic that Nasuada had given her. It was deep purple with a yellow trim, the colors of the Varden. The skirt was short and slit so Kairin could mount and dismount Faeria easily. There was also a tough bodice of brown leather, for protection against any small injuries.

Dawn was breaking when Kairin exited her tent. Faeria was curled outside, still sleeping, so she left her there, taking a walk alone. She enjoyed being alone when the sunlight was still blue with the morn. Vaguely aware of Faeria dreaming of flying through clouds around an enormous mountain, Kairin circled the camp twice, enjoying the feeling that she was the only one awake.

As Kairin passed Eragon's tent, she noticed the flickering light of a candle. Still slightly cross with him, she walked straight by, but her footsteps must have still been too loud. Eragon's head poked out of the tent.

"Good morning Kairin. I was wondering who was up this early. I thought it might be Arya... Elves arise early. But I suppose you're an elf too."

"Uh huh."

"Are you okay?" He noticed immediately the anger in her voice.

"I talked to Elva last night." Eragon's face immediately fell.

"So you already know what's coming, don't you," Kairin said, her voice rising.

"Look, Kairin, I..." She cut him off.

"She was a little girl, Eragon! Did you have any kind of teacher, any training at all! A spell like that ruins people's _lives, _Eragon, and as a Rider that's the opposite of what we are trying to do!"

"Kairin, stop. It was an accident. I was... an idiot, I know. But I'm really truly sorry for it. It was the worst thing I could have done," he said, switching to the ancient language to prove his honesty. "Once I have the strength I will reverse it."

Kairin sighed, her anger ebbing away. His apology was too heartfelt for her to stay angry.

"And what about... What about Roran?"

"...Roran?"

"I... I heard that he... A girl named Katrina?" Kairin suddenly regretted bringing it up. What business of it was hers? Eragon was silent. He obviously understood her garbled sentence. He stood, staring coldly at her.

"You know what, forget it, it's none of my business, I'm sorry," she began, but Eragon was already talking.

"Who told you about that?" he sounded cold, too.

"I... Elva told me. She knew somehow. Just by looking at him..." Eragon closed his eyes and brought a hand up to his face.

"Once again my faults seem to follow me," he said with an ironic laugh.

"I'm sorry," Kairin said, at loss for what to say. Eragon however, slowly too his hand off his face and looked intently at her. Kairin raised her eyebrows at him.

"What's that look for?"

"Could you do me a favor?"

"What's that?" Kairin couldn't help being suspicious.

"Ask Nasuada if you could accompany us to Helgrind. Two riders and a skilled warrior is quite an army." Kairin was startled. This was a matter between him and Roran, it was none of her business.

"I don't know, Eragon... She wouldn't let both of us go, especially if she's worried about losing just one Rider. Putting _two_ in danger? She wouldn't risk it."

"But I cannot plead my case to her. She has already forbidden me to go, as of now... She has no such order placed over you! _Please_, Kairin." But Kairin had already made her decision.

"Yes, fine. I'll do it! Fine." Eragon's face broke into a grin.

"Thank you. Thank so much." Kairin gave a short nod and began to walk away, in the direction of Nasuada's tent. She contacted Faeria as she went.

"_Kairin? Where are you, Little One?"_

"_I thought I would take a walk alone. I ran into Eragon, though. We started out arguing and now he wants us to help him with Roran's girl, Katrina."_

"_Really? You said no, didn't you?"_

"_Of course not! This is what we do, Faeria. We're heroes, we _help people._"_

"_You need to stop butting into other people's business, Kairin." _She sounded stern.

"_He asked me to!"_

"_Pah. Where are you now?"_

"_On my way to Nasuada's tent. I need her permission."_

"_I'm flying over."_

"_Are you going to help me?"_

"_We're heroes. Helping people is what we do." _She severed the connection and Kairin felt the familiar feeling of flight in the back of her mind. Faeria was on her way. Soon she landed next to Kairin, folded her pearly white wings and hummed a greeting. The two reached Nasuada's large tent and noticed the light on inside. Kairin knocked on the wooden beam in the front. A voice inside said, "Enter."

They walked into the tent. Nasuada was wearing a tunic quite similar to Kairin's and was bent over some sort of map. Arya the elf stood beside her, pointing at something in the corner of the parchment; an island shaped somewhat like a hand.

"Good morning Kairin, Faeria. What do you want?" Nasuada asked, not unkindly.

"Lady," she gave a short bow. "Eragon and I were speaking this morning, and he asked me if I would come to you in his place. To ask a favor."

"A favor?" Nasuada looked away from the map, straightened, and met Kairin's gaze.

"You told Roran that he was not allowed to take Eragon to Helgrind, am I correct?"

"Yes, you are..." Nasuada's eyes narrowed.

"He asked me if I would plead his case to you in his place, and to inform you that Faeria and I would be more than willing to accompany him. For protection."

"Kairin, I told Eragon already that my answer was no." Nasuada said wearily. Arya spoke up.

"He asked you to do this?" Startled by the elf's sudden question, Kairin answered, "He... Yes, just now."

"He should not be dragging you two into this. This is their mission alone." She spoke more to herself than Kairin.

"I beg your pardon, but I believe that we could help him," Kairin said to both of them. There was silence in the tent. Nasuada eyed Kairin, a sparkle in her eye.

"Now you listen to me, Kairin." Her voice, surprisingly, was not hard. "I forbid you to _carelessly_ accompany Eragon and Roran to Helgrind." Her eyes widened very slightly. "Did you hear me, Kairin? I gave you an order." Her eyes widened even more, willing Kairin to understand. Suddenly it clicked in her mind.

"_Faeria! She's giving us a loophole!"_

"_It took you long enough to notice, hatchling."_

Kairin bowed.

"I understand lady. I will inform Eragon."

"Very good, Kairin. You are dismissed." And Kairin could swear that before she bent over the map again, she gave her a quick wink. Concealing a grin, Kairin hurried out with a quick glance at Arya. The elf didn't look especially pleased.

"_Can you believe that, Faeria? She let us do it!"_

"_Only jus, though. She's very worried about you."_

"_Worried about me, or worried about her Rider?"_

They reached Eragon's tent while the rest of the camp was rising. Eragon was sitting outside, his face in his hands. Kairin touched him on the shoulder as she approached making him jump.

"Kairin! You startled me... Well? What did she say?" His eyes were filled with such hope and eagerness. Kairin paused, enjoying the drama.

"Well, she said..."

"What?" he stood up.

"She said she forbids me to go _carelessly."_ He furrowed his brow.

"She still refuses?"

"No, no! You see, she gave us a loophole. She said we couldn't go _carelessly._ We're allowed to go!" He looked skeptical.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm... sure." _What if she was wrong?_

Eragon took her feeble conformation to heart. "Thank you, thank you, Kairin!" He took her hand in both of his and shook it, grinning.

"I'm going to tell Roran. Will you prepare for the journey?" Kairin scarcely nodded before he hurried away.

"_Are you ready for this, Kairin?"_

"_I... I don't know."_

A/N – Sorry for that huge delay! But I went on vacation for a while... Also, I'm getting ready to start school again so chapters won't come as frequently as I would like...


	18. Chapter 21

Thanks to Dr. Dani Suess, who finally reminded me that I had a story in desperate need of updating.

Isis the Sphinx – Sadly, I know what you mean. I'm not exactly a punctual author.

Coffee Grounds – I'm grateful for your reviews! I'm happy I'm writing that people respond to... for ONCE.

Emerald Tiara – To spot what?

Chapter Twenty-one

Kairin stood motionless in the middle of her tent, her mind blank.

"_What exactly are you supposed to pack for an impossible mission?"_

"_A little luck, I would suppose."_

"_Helpful as always you are, Faeria..."_

"_Kairin, Roran's coming."_

"_Roran?"_

She stepped out of the tent and blinked against the sunlight. She glanced at Faeria, who tossed her head towards a distant Roran approaching. Calmly, she folded her hands and waited for him to reach her. When he drew close, he halted and glared at Kairin, out of breath. He jabbed a finger in her direction.

"This is none of _your_ business. This is between _me_ and _Eragon." _Eragon half-ran up behind his cousin, looking slightly apologetic.

"Roran, don't be a fool!" Eragon began, but his cousin silenced him with a murderous glare.

"Helgrind is no place for you. It's none of your business," he repeated, still breathing heavily. Kairin stared calmly into his furious eyes.

"I only wish to help you, Stronghammer," she said, using the surname Nasuada had addressed him with earlier.

"I don't need help from another blasted Rider like you!" His voice rose in a childish tantrum. "Keep your nose out of this," he said, slowly and intimidating. Faeria drew herself to full height and growled at Roran, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"_Don't."_

"_I won't allow the boy to speak to you in such a way."_

"_You said the same thing earlier, you know," _Kairin chided, with a hint of a smile.

"If you really want to go to one of the most dangerous places in Alagaesia with only the backup of your cousin, go ahead, I'm not stopping you. Apparently 'family business' is more important to you than your life and the life of your loved ones. But if you want to throw away your blind pride, I'm sure that Faeria and I would be a sure asset to you."

Roran's face remained emotionless throughout her speech, his jaw working furiously.

"Fine," he spat, hating the word. "We leave tonight. Don't fall behind, girl." He turned on his heel and stormed away, kicking a box sitting by the dirt path furiously.

"Bundle of laughs, your cousin is," Kairin sang, turning to reenter her tent.

"I apologize," He said quickly, embarrassed and apologetic. "I should have stopped him from coming over here. He's really not like this. Ever since I left Caravahall..." He trailed off, and Kairin let him.

"You will speak to him about some kind of strategy?" She kept her back to him; she did not want him to see the tears in her eyes.

"Yes. I'll see you later." He followed his cousin, jogging slightly to catch up. Kairin ducked back under the canvas and filled her basin with cool water. As she splashed her face, Faeria sidled into the tent behind her with some difficulty.

"_He upset you."_

"No... No, it wasn't him," she said aloud, in a soft voice. "It's this world... This entire wretched place. It's ruined, miserable. How can one man be the cause such an evil?" Faeria did not answer. Instead, she heaved a sigh and lay on the dirt floor of the tent, smoke furling from her nostrils. Kairin sat in the curl of her neck, resting her cheek against her warm, scaly hide. The two sat alone in silence.

She did not know how long she was sitting before a soft knock came from outside. Startled, Kairin leapt to her feet and opened the flap. Faeria swerved her great head around to see. Eragon stepped in, his sword at his hip and a quiver on his back.

"Where is Roran?" she asked him. Her voice was quiet, tense.

"Outside. Are you ready?" Kairin realized that she hadn't packed a thing. Hurriedly, she strapped her sword to her belt and tied her hair back with a strip of leather from her bedside table.

"I suppose, yes. Are we going now?" Eragon nodded solemnly.

"This is too reckless. We're crazy, aren't we?" He smiled weakly. Kairin knew it had no emotion behind it.

"This is good. This is right. Don't worry." Feeling a bit awkward, she pushed past him out of the tent to find Roran staring at the sky. He too had a sword at his waist, but it looked unused. In a more prominent loop on his belt was a hammer. He spoke without looking down at her.

"Cloudy night," he said tersely.

"Good cover," she replied. The talk was meaningless.

Silence fell among them again. Kairin noticed Saphira sitting to Roran's left. Her long neck was curved in a majestic arc. Even through her tense anxiety, Kairin managed to be amazed yet again at dragons' unexpected beauty. Behind her, Eragon and Faeria had emerged.

"It will be dark when we get there, but we'll have to take a roundabout route. We can't afford anyone seeing us." With a spark, Kairin remembered.

"Leaire taught me a spell..." with a whisper, Kairin swept her hand around herself, and vanished. Eragon's brow furrowed.

"I never... Neither of my teachers taught me this spell."

"They must have wanted you to complete your stealth training without the assistance of magic." Eragon looked annoyed at this. Kairin glanced at the ground and muttered the counterspell.

"...Yes, well... Can you cover all of us?"

"Yes."

"Then... We're ready to fly." Eragon and smoothly mounted Saphira with an impressive ease. Kairin turned and tried to imitate his grace. Even on her much smaller dragon, she slipped slightly and had to seize Faeria's neck spike roughly to regain balance. She looked quickly over at Eragon and Roran. Eragon was tightening the straps on his legs, but Roran was looking over at her, his mouth taught and his eyes empty. Kairin quickly turned from his gaze and took off without another word. The sound of wings beating behind her told that Eragon was close behind.


	19. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-two

Helgrind jutted into the night's sky like a twisted black dagger. It rose above the city ahead of Kairin, a dark omen. The mere sight chilled her and sent shivers down her spine.

"_How evil is this place."_

Kairin closed her eyes and broadened her mind, feeling the faint presence of the city dwellers below her she found Eragon easily, and connected with him.

"_Eragon, how are we going to do this?"_

"_You're going in through some sort of side entrance; a window or a balcony. Roran and I are entering from the top and splitting up. We'll meet up once one of us finds Katrina."_

The plan was rough, unprepared, and practically doomed to fail. Kairin felt a twinge of nerves in her stomach. Would she even make it out alive? Would any of them?

"_Eragon... Promise me something."_

"_What?"_

"_If you find the Ra'zac first... Get yourself out. Don't try and fight them."_

"_Kairin-"_

"_Promise me."_

"_...Fine.''_

"_Thank you."_

Faeria snorted.

"_You don't have the right to tell him what to do," _she said

"_We can't afford to lose him now. I can't be the only Rider for the Varden."_

"_Is that the only reason, I wonder."_

"_What does that mean?"_

Faeria didn't answer. Kairin found the energy to be annoyed even through her fear.

Suddenly the tower was upon them. The sight of it close up wasn't any less frightening. With her sharp eyes Kairin could make out odd, swirling carvings in the black stone. They were almost beautiful in a dark, demented way.

She heard the sound of invisible wings above her. Eragon, shielded by her magic, was flying to the top of the tower. She closed her eyes. It was time now.

"_Find an entrance, Faeria."_

"_Look, there."_

She pointed her nose to a square hole in the side of the tower, and flew close to it. Kairin peered inside. It was a high window; the floor was at least 20 feet down. In the gloom Kairin could make out tables and fearsome looking instruments. It was a laboratory of some kind, perhaps. Metal grating was fixed to it; it was clearly for ventilation purposes only. Kairin slid both her legs onto the same side of Faeria's back and prepared to jump.

"_This window is too small, Kairin. I won't fit through!" _Faeria told her hurriedly. Kairin knew that she wouldn't let her alone without a fight.

"_It'll have to do. I doubt the Ra'zac have put any windows into their tower where they don't need them. This is probably the only one."_

"_What will you do without me?"_

"_Keep yourself hidden and try to find Eragon. He must have found a bigger opening somewhere, for Saphira."_

"_Be careful, Kairin." _Faeria's voice was strained with anxiety. Kairin could see it was hard for the dragon to let her go.

"I'll be fine," she whispered aloud, and kissed one of Faeria's silver scales. She turned to the window and gripped the grating.

"_Brisignr,"_ she whispered. The edges of the grate glowed red for a moment, and the metal came off clean in her hand. Faeria took it in her mouth, and Kairin slid herself onto the windowsill.

"_Good luck."_

Kairin jumped. She landed on her feet and collapsed to her knees, pain rising through her legs. It was a jump she never would have attempted as a human. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the impenetrable darkness. She didn't dare light her palm to see her way; she couldn't think about the terrible consequence of being caught.

Kairin crept down the hallways of Helgrind, struggling through the impenetrable, abnormal darkness. The most distressing part of the tower was something Kairin couldn't put her finger on right away. It was the complete lack of noise. Not even a rustle of wind passed through the twisted halls of Helgrind. Even with her sharp hearing, Kairin didn't hear the faintest sound. It sent a cold wave of terror through her.

"_Eragon." _She called him, surprising herself with the level of panic her mind was emitting.

"_What's wrong?" _She felt a wave of his concern.

She had only contacting him to save herself from the stifling silence. She raked her thoughts for something to say, and noticed a staircase before her.

"_Where should I be heading, up or down?" _He hesitated.

"_Down. She'd be at the bottom right?"_

"_Your guess is as good as mine... What does she look like?"_

Eragon sent her a mental image. A girl with copper hair burst into her mind, her hands tied up by invisible shackles. Her face was mostly hidden by the fan of her hair, but what did show was caked in grime.

"_That's what I see when I scry her. Keep your eyes open, Kairn, and get out of here as soon as you can."_

She lost him.

Kairin scurried down the swirling staircase. It seemed endless. Every dozen or so steps she would reach a landing, an open hallway sending out a faint bluish glow. She plowed past them, continuing her descent. As she got lower, the darkness seemed to be more tangible, like a living, breathing force attempting to strangle her.

After an eternity the staircase abruptly came to an end. In the pitch black, Kairin had to grope her way around the damp walls to find a door handle. The black metal blended in seamlessly with the wall. As she had expected, the door did not open when she pulled, so she lay her gedway ignasia on the handle. "Open," she whispered in the ancient language. The door didn't move, but when Kairin pulled with all her strength, the heavy metal swung outward, slowly. It didn't make a sound, not even the droning creak she had expected from it. It made her uneasy.

This time, the darkness was absolute. Her eyes couldn't adjust. Warily, she whispered for light. A spark ignited on her palm, burning her eyes. She quickly clenched her fist as to stifle the light somewhat. Now a faint reddish glow emitted from between her fingers, which was enough for Kairin.

The horrors that she saw in the long room before her told her this was her destination. Gruesome chains and torture devices littered the room in an eerily orderly fashion. There was something almost businesslike about the room that told Kairin that the Ra'zac were masters of torment. Shackles hung from the ceiling, thumbscrews and racks were lined up against one wall, and in the center was a terrible, magnificent black altar. It was made of polished hematite, and bore the bloodstains of thousands of sacrifices. Kairin felt her stomach lurch in disgust. A crude, shining silver knife was protruding from a slit in the center of the altar's surface.

She tried not to look at anything.

Kairin walked slowly through the room, her jaw clenched in revulsion. With every step she hated the Ra'zac more and more. Even the innocent sound of her footsteps bouncing off the walls unnerved her. She drew closer to the end of the hall, and the shape of a door became more defined in the wall. She pulled on it. To her surprise, the thick stone opened easily.

Inside was a girl hanging from the ceiling, her hands shackled above her. Her delicate feet limply brushed the floor, providing little support. Kairin rushed towards the girl and took her face in her hands. She was unconscious, and barely breathing. This had to be Roran's Katrina.

"Katrina."

There was no response. Frantically, Kairin reached up to the shackles bolted into the ceiling and hit them with a blast of magic. They broke, but this time Kairin felt the old feeling of fatigue. Magic hadn't worn her out since she had become an elf. It made her anxious, but she quickly pushed it to the back of her mind.

Katrina had fallen lifelessly onto her, and Kairin adjusted her onto her shoulder. Kairin's eyes gave one last sweep across the room, and this time she noticed something. There was a bundle lying in one of the corners. As she looked at it, she noticed a faint rhythm of movement, up and down. It was alive.

She put Katrina down on the floor and moved towards it cautiously. It was chained by both hands and feet, and obviously asleep. She knelt beside it and gingerly swept a lock of hair aside. It was a boy, about twelve years old. His face was pale, and one of his eyes was blackened. She took his hand, and felt his pulse. Frighteningly weak. Through his ragged sleeve Kairin could see bruises and cuts, the result of horrible mistreatment or torture. Pity welled inside her, and she massaged his small hand in both of hers.

Her finger brushed against something on his palm. Gently, she turned the hand over. Even in the faint light it was clear.

The boy had the Gedwey Ignasia.


	20. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Kairin inhaled sharply. She ran her thumb over the silver mark, not believing what she saw. How could another Rider be here? How could there be another egg? Her mind overflowed. Such a small, young thing he was, skinny and frail, shaking slightly in his unconscious state. Kairin held him closer, willing his little heart to keep beating. An overpowering maternal feeling swept over her. The little boy shuddered and turned his head into her bosom. She could feel how cold he was. He had to get out of here.

Kairin reached for the boy's shackles and melted through them with magic. With every movement, she felt the life draining out of her. Once he was freed from the wall, Kairin gingerly extracted him from his chains and cradled him, standing up. She shifted him carefully to one arm, and crossed the room to lift Katrina in the other. She straightened with both of their skinny bodies in her arms, and began to shake uncontrollably. She soon collapsed under the weight of the two, a burden she should have easily managed. She began to realize how careless she had acted with her magic. All three of them could die there.

"_E-Eragon..."_

"_Kairin!" _his demeanor was afraid. He felt her mind flickering, threatening to go out. "_What happened? Where are you? Are you hurt?"_

"_I... found them."_

"_Them? You found Katrina?"_

"_C-can't speak, Era... I wore m-myself... myself..."_

"_I'm coming to get you. Show me where you are." _She sent him her memories of the path she took. As she closed her eyes and willed herself to stay awake, the atmosphere changed. She suddenly felt terrified. She shrieked her thoughts to Eragon with the last of her strength

"_Eragon! I can feel them... Them... They're coming... They're coming!"_ It had become cold. The tomblike silence was engulfing her again. They were coming.

"_Eragon!" _Something attacked her mind. It was cold and hostile. She felt Eragon reaching for her, yearning for an explanation. She couldn't dare let him in; she threw up her mental defenses. She felt the hostile mind scrabbling outside her walls, burrowing through the weak points. It grew stronger, more ruthless, and it drained her more to keep it out. She brought her hands to her head, clutching her face, digging her nails into her scalp. She was going to die. They were all going to die there. A high-pitched keening noise filled Kairin's ears, and she had no way of knowing if it was inside her mind or out. She was screaming, her mind was spinning, almost as if it was being flooded with water. She was drowning. The noise grew louder; making her cringe, dig her nails further into her scalp until blood ran down her face. Then, out of nowhere the noise stopped. Her mind was free, and everything was quiet. Kairin opened her eyes cautiously. It was calm, but the danger had not passed. She could feel them.

Suddenly the door flew open, and a single black figure was silhouetted in the eerie bluish light.

It walked straight towards Kairin huddled in the center of the room, making no noise but the telltale clicking from under its hood. Kairin couldn't move, couldn't think. She was paralyzed. It swept to stand before her and stood above, looking at her almost lovingly, playing with her. It's clothed hand slowly towards her face, and Kairin could only follow it with her wide, green eyes.

Suddenly one of the bodies beside her sprang to life. He leapt towards the Ra'zac, attacking with all the ferocity of a young boy and latched onto the creatures long cloak. He scratched, bit, kicked, and punched the creature wherever he could reach, making it cringe backwards. The boy's element of surprise only lasted a moment. With an angry hiss, the Ra'zac pried the squirming body from its face. Effortlessly, the Ra'zac lifted the boy into the air, clutching him by the throat. He began to choke, his small legs jerking around like an upturned beetle.

"No!" Kairin screamed, trying to lunge. She managed to twist her fingers into the hem of the Raz'ac's robe. It didn't seem to notice as she pulled frantically on it, her throat ripped apart from shrieking. Unexpectedly, She was thrown back by a blinding burst of light that was not her own. The Ra'zac let out a hideous screech, and when the light faded it was gone, flying out of the open door, clutching itself with gnarled hands. The boy had been dropped back onto the floor and was knocked out again, exhausted from his accidental burst of magic. Kairin dragged herself across the damp floor until she was beside him, and cradled him in her arms, away from the cold. The life finally drained from her, and the room fell into blackness.

Kairin was roused by the cold. Icy wind caught her hair and flung it into her face, and arms, raising angry red marks. She was shivering. Groggily, her eyes adjusted to the moonlight and Eragon's blurry face came into focus. He was leaning above her, balancing her head on one of his knees. She quickly sat up and blinked furiously, her senses returning. She was on the roof of the tower, and everyone was gathered around her. Roran helf Katrina in his arms as if she was made of glass. She was arranged in his lap not unlike Kairin was arranged in Eragon's. Faeria pushed her way into view, smoke furling from her nostrils, her eyes flashing. _"You were nearly killed, Kairin." _Her voice was stern, and slightly hysterical.

"_Yeah." _Kairin's tone was clearly uninterested.

"_What happened? How are you safe?"_

Kairin didn't reply. She faintly registered that Eragon was speaking to her, asking her the same question Faeria had. She ignored him and looked around to see the boy sprawled next to her, looking like an abandoned rag doll. He looked worse in the light. Roughly, Kairin pushed Eragon off of her and hugged the little boy close.

"You just left him lying like this in the wind? He's dying!" Kairin accused, talking to no one, everyone.

"We didn't know who he was. Who is he? Kairin? What's wrong with you?" Eragon was shaking her shoulders in an effort to gain her attention. She ignored him still, and carried the boy to Faeria, tying him securely to the saddle before sliding on behind him. She spared a glance towards Eragon, who was looking back at her, concerned. He must have thought she was still suffering mentally. Roran was staring at her too, his brow furrowed.

"Let's go," she said, to no one in particular. Faeria was motionless.

"_I don't think you're ready just yet, little one." _Her voice had lost the accusatory tone from before. She sounded concerned and calm, speaking to Kairin as if she was a child.

Kairin faintly registered that her dragon must feel the same way that Eragon did, and was afraid they might not take off for fear of her safety. With an effort, she controlled her tone.

"I'm fine, Eragon, Faeria. I'm fine, really. We need to get out of here, now. Please?" She spoke with an almost convincing imitation of sanity. Eragon glanced at Saphira, who bowed her graceful blue head once.

"You're sure?" Eragon asked tentatively, afraid to infuriate Kairin again. With an even greater effort, Kairin appropriated her tone again.

"Sure." She spat out the word as quickly as possible. Her temper was rising. Didn't anyone understand how close the little boy's heart was to stopping?

Faeria seemed to understand Kairin's mindset, and threw herself off the tower wall, unfurling her silvery wings and rising into the sky. With gratitude, Kairin realized that Faeria had no intention of interrogating her until later.

A few minutes into the air, Kairin turned back to see Saphira a ways behind her, carrying her three passengers easily. Eragon was trying to contact her, but she briskly pushed his mind aside. She didn't want to talk. Why couldn't he leave her alone?

The fly back to the Varden camp was just as anxious as the fly to Helgrind. Throughout, Kairin couldn't take her eyes off the child's snow-white face, marred with bruises and cuts. She tenderly stroked his hair, humming to him softly. In his sleep, he shuddered and cried out, seizing Kairin's large, soft hand in his cold white one. She hugged him close, warming him, feeling his heartbeat. He was breathing frantically, as if he was running from some phantom enemy. Kairin's eyes filled with tears at the thought of his suffering, but she didn't dare to enter his mind. A child who had conjured a spell as powerful as he had could be seriously unstable. As Kairin stroked the child's forehead, she was very much aware that Faeria was buzzing with impatience underneath her, frustrated. Her mind was just outside of Kairin's consciousness, ready for the opportunity to come in.

As they landed, Kairin immediately dismounted Faeria before she had even sunk her claws into the ground. She pulled the boy off the saddle and arranged him carefully in her arms once more before striding towards Nasuada's tent without a backwards glance. She didn't hear Faeria's powerful jaw snapping in fury behind her, bristling at Kairin's disinterest in her. Kairin was wholly consumed with the child in her arms, pushing her own aching head and nausea to the back of her mind.

Without so much as a knock, Kairin swept into Nasuada's tent and was slightly surprised to see the dark-skinned queen sitting up at a table, fully dressed. Arya the elf was standing behind her right shoulder, pouring over the parchment unfurled before Nasuada. They both looked up as Kairin entered and stared for a moment as her appearance set in.

"Kairin!" Nasuada stood up and walked hurriedly towards her, arms outstretched. "Who's this? You're back already?" Kairin noticed that Arya was deftly rolling the parchment back up behind Nasuada's shoulder, quicker than necessary.

"He's scarcely breathing."

"Kairin? Who is he?"

"Clear off that table, there, let's lie him down... I think if we just warm him up he'll-" Kairin didn't bother finishing her sentence, but pushed past Nasuada towards the table in an extremely disrespectful manner. Nasuada seemed merely stunned.

"Kairin I am ordering you to speak to me. Kairin. _Kairin."_ Kairin was putting the boy onto the table, pushing candles aside to make room for his head. She was completely oblivious. Arya took a furious step forward and seized Kairin's shoulder.

"If you continue to refuse speaking to us, I'll throw the child out into the cold." The two elves stood face-to-face for a moment, glaring, green eyes locked with green eyes. Kairin pulled her gaze away first and looked to Nasuada.

"I..." She had no idea how to continue. An uneasy silence fell in the tent. Arya didn't remove her hand from Kairin's shoulder, and her eyes still bore into hers. Kairin refused to meet her gaze. The awkward tension was quickly broken by Eragon's entrance.

"Lady Nasuada... Arya... We've returned." His eyes came to rest on Kairin. They were cold. "But I assume you've gathered that already."

"Eragon..." Kairin stuttered. She began to take a step towards him, beseeching him, but quickly stopped. The room was engulfed in an awkward silence once more, three pairs of eyes fixed onto Kairin. She suddenly burst into tears.

"I don't know what I'm doing!" She cried, not knowing what she was saying. She sunk to the floor, racked with violent sobbing. Eragon hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly crossed the room to kneel beside her.

"Easy, Kairin. Easy..." He had nothing to say. He simply pulled her into an embrace, and the two riders sat together on the floor, their arms intertwined. Kairin buried her face into his shoulder. Kairin didn't know how long it was before she pulled away from him, but when she looked around she saw that they were alone in the tent. Nasuada and Arya had taken the boy away.

"I'm sorry," Kairin said, her voice barely a whisper.

"Why?"

"I don't know. I'm... I feel like I'm drowning. What am I doing here?" Eragon gave her a small smile.

"It's what I used to think. Don't worry about it, Kairin... We have faith in you."

"You used to feel like this?" Eragon's smile vanished. He pulled away from her a little and crossed his legs, giving Kairin an appraising sort of look.

"Can I... Tell you something?" He sounded nervous. It was completely uncharacteristic of Eragon to be nervous at all; it worried her.

"Anything, Eragon." He sat in silence, not breaking their gaze. Suddenly, he launched into his story as if he was going to forget it.

"Do you remember your first day here? In the meeting in this tent, Nasuada spoke of an enemy Rider, whom I confronted. He defeated me. I told Nasuada I didn't get a chance to discover his identity." Eragon closed his eyes for a moment. "That was a lie.

"Before I reached the Varden, I had a companion. His name was Murtagh. Murtagh and I grew very close, we were like-" He stopped abruptly and smiled. "Like brothers," he finished quietly.

"Murtagh was captured in the battle of Tronjheim, the same battle that King Ajihad was murdered at. He was captured alive... But I was sure he had died since then. I thought he had died, of course, until I saw him astride his great red dragon before he defeated me."

He fell silent. Kairin was at a loss for words. She saw his pain as he told her his secret. She wanted to reach out to comfort him, to make him happy again. She settled for taking hold of his hand in both of hers.

"Why didn't you tell Nasuada?" The question was out before Kairin had a chance to stop it. Quickly, she added "you don't have to tell me." He shook his head.

"Murtagh is... He's my brother. Morzan's son is my brother."

The name meant nothing to Kairin. Eragon bowed his head, his jaw tight. Hr looked ashamed. Kairin didn't want to ask him what it meant. They sat there in silence again, this time Kairin comforting Eragon. Both of them were motionless until Kairin suddenly keeled over onto the floor, her mind teetering into unconsciousness.

Kairin was vaguely aware of Eragon carrying her back to her tent. Kairin knew that he must have been exhausted, but he didn't say a word of complaint as he carried her across the entire camp. When they reached her tent, Eragon laid her into bed and pulled a blanket over her. After a moment, Kairin pulled her eyes open with great effort. Eragon stood over her still.

Their eyes met. With the slightest hesitation, Eragon swiftly bent over her and kissed her on the forehead. Without another word, he strode out of the tent into the darkness.

When Kairin opened her eyes the next morning, it was like the plan had been forming in her mind all night. She got up, splashed water on her face, and pushed the tent flap open to see Faeria sitting directly outside.

"_Feeling better?"_

Kairin said nothing, but threw her arms around the scaly neck of her dragon.

"_I love you, Faeria."_

"_I know you do, hatchling."_

Kairin pulled her arms away from Faeria. She looked directly into the two shining silver eyes, her face serious.

"We're leaving," she whispered aloud.

"_Leaving? We're leaving the Varden?"_

"_I can't stay here. I'm going absolutely mad in this place, Faeria, sitting here like some kind of trophy on a shelf. I need to have a purpose._

"_I can't dissuade you?"_

"No. You can't. We're leaving here tomorrow."

"Leaving, are we?" A familiar voice rang out behind Kairin, and she swung around. A smiling figure stood behind her, like a vision from heaven.

"Leaire!"


End file.
